The Story of Jasper's Lost Sister
by booknerd1994
Summary: Hayley thought her brother, Jasper, was long gone and dead, but after becoming something...different, she began her search. Hundreds of years passed, but when she is finally reunited with her brother and finally finds a home, will the one who changed her destroy everything forever? Was this all part of the plan to keeping balance in the Vampire World?
1. Chapter 1

Pain shot up my leg as I crashed over a loose root, causing me to fall to the ground. I crawled over to a tall tree, curling in on myself and let loose all of the emotions that I had been holding in for a while now. For several hours that day, I had been running, much like I have been doing for the last 100-odd years. All in search for a man who was probably dead in the first place, but I still wouldn't stop searching. Another sob raked my small body as tears gushed down my cheeks, leaving streaks of dirt on my face.

_This is crazy_, I kept repeating to myself, _you should just stop now_.

I lifted my head from where it was perched on my knees and wiped the trailing tears away. Standing up slowly, I took a deep breath and froze.

"That smell," I murmured to myself. "Tha- That smell. It couldn't be…"

Before I could process what that smell could possibly mean, I took off in the direction that the smell was the strongest. After a few short minutes of running over uneven trails and crushed logs, I found myself standing in a wide, open clearing leading to a large, beautiful house. I found myself drawn to the house that seemed to be made out of windows, though I had never seen it before in all my years.

Fear and shyness began to take control of me as I stepped cautiously up the steps and to the door. Before I had time to knock, the door was pulled open by a beautiful, blonde man, no older than 30. With just one look, I could tell he was like me, different.

_Well, not completely like you_, I thought bitterly.

Before the man spoke I controlled my breathing to a more regular pattern and made my heart stop beating, so the man wouldn't become suspicious.

"Good evening," the man said in a calming voice, "is there anything I can help you with?"

As he spoke I found myself drawn to his eyes, which were a weird shade of caramel. In all of my years, I had never seen a vampire with eyes other than red. Well, besides myself of course.

The man looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to speak. I took a deep, unnecessary breath before talking to the man. This was the first time I had talked to anyone, besides myself, in over 30 years.

"I thought… I thought I smelled something," I squeaked out.

The man's expression hardened just the slightest of a fraction, but I saw it clear as day. I tapped into his thoughts for just a moment, wondering why I had worried him.

_I do hope this young girl is not another nomad attracted to Nessie. Bella and Edward always get so angry when stragglers stop by, but this young one seems different. Her eyes are not red. They are not even gold for that matter! Interesting… they are more greenish, with gold flecks. _

Edward? Bella? Nessie?

I had no idea who these people were, but I had no further time to ponder when a musical voice started shouting from within the house.

"Carlisle! Carlisle," a woman's voice shouted, "let her in!"

I saw a quick flash of black, somewhere behind the half open door, and then suddenly a small woman was standing at the man's side. She was much shorter than the man, Carlisle, even shorter than me! Her hair was sticking out in random directions around her face, but seemed to fit her personality perfectly. The black of her hair, and the short, black dress she wore contrasted splendidly with her pale skin.

"Alice," the man said softly, not sure what to make of the situation.

"Trust me," the girl said, smiling to the man. Then she suddenly turned to me with a huge smile, grabbing for my hand. I flinched slightly at the contact and the girl's expression softened.

"It's okay, sweetie," she murmured to me, "you're safe here."

She pulled me inside and then suddenly enveloped me in a crushing hug. I gasped and froze at her sudden gesture, not sure as to how I should react. I hadn't talked to anyone in over 30 years, but I hadn't had physical contact even longer.

"I'm so glad you're finally here! This is perfect! I have been waiting months and months to finally meet you," the girl gushed as she pulled back to look at me. "You're so much more beautiful in person, and you look just like him. This is just going to be so, so great! He will be so surprised!"

I was frozen to where I stood as the girl bounced happily on her feet, holding my hands in her small ones. In all of my years, I had never been more confused, not even after I woke up for the first time, all alone.

"Alice, what is going on in here? You're shaking the floor with your bouncing," another woman's voice chuckled.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could make out the new addition to our trio- a very slender, beautiful woman. Her hair bounced around her heart-shaped face as she waltzed over to where the hyper girl and I were. I noticed her eyes were the same color as the man's and the other girl's.

_Three vampires in one house_, I thought to myself, _very unusual_.

"Oh my, Alice! Look," the new woman said scolding, "you're scaring the poor girl."

Alice stopped bouncing momentarily and peered into my face, which I'm sure, was a mask of confusion. She looked like she was holding back laughter as the other woman continued to scold her.

Suddenly Alice gasped and screamed, breaking into a breath-taking grin.

"It's time, its time," she squealed in delight, as the other man and woman in the room looked just as confused as I felt.

Alice gently nudged me back a few feet, patted my hand, and winked at me. I was too confused and frightened to make sense of what was happening so I stayed still as Alice went over to the other man and woman and arranged them on the tan love seat.

"Everyone, get down here," Alice called out, "I have a surprise!"

My head whipped around to the large staircase in the middle of the house, wondering who 'everyone' else entailed. I didn't have to wait more than 30 seconds before more vampires began making their way down the stairs, all of them taking notice of my presence.

The first to walk down was a couple consisting of the most beautiful woman I had ever seen and a very large man with a goofy grin. The beautiful blonde looked at me skeptically as she made her way to her seat on one of the couches, while her mate just looked amused.

Suddenly I froze as a much unexpected noise filled my ears- a heartbeat. I turned in time to see a beautiful bronze-haired boy, a dazzling brunette, and a small, gorgeous child make their way down the stairs. The brunette looked very confused as she held onto the small child, but her mate was smiling very kindly at me.

Once everyone was seated, Alice came over and grabbed my right hand, towing me over to the living room furniture where the rest of her coven sat.

"I have a huge surprise for you all," Alice gushed, squeezing my hand. "Don't be mad at me, but I had a vision several months ago, about this very special girl coming to us."

Several voices erupted from the new men and woman, all complaining to Alice about her not sharing her news with the rest.

The bronze-haired boy held up his hand and everyone went silent as he spoke, though they didn't look happy.

"If Alice told you all, it wouldn't be that much of a surprise now would it?"

"You knew what was going on all along, Edward," the blonde woman said angrily, "so don't try to make the rest of us feel better."

Edward chuckled, "I actually just found out what's going on a few moments ago. Alice has been hiding this secret from me as well, but believe me; you do not want this spoiled."

Everyone went silent, most likely thinking about what the boy had just said. Slowly I felt all eyes on me, which made me feel squeamish. Pulling her hand away from mine, Alice snaked her skinny arm around my small waist.

"Well," the woman with the heart-shaped face laughed, "aren't you going to introduce everyone?"

Alice's musical laugh filled the room as she pulled me closer to her side, "Everyone, this is Hayley Whitlock."

I heard small gasps come from a few members of the coven as what Alice said registered with everyone.

"Hayley," Alice said, "this is our family- Emmett, his wife Rosalie, Carlisle, his wife Esme, Edward, his wife Bella, and their daughter Renesmee."

Everyone's face was a different expression, all ranging from pure joy to confusion. I was one of the confused. My skin was itching from all the physical contact, though I didn't want to push it away. My body was starting to feel exhausted, due to all the running and strength it took me to stop my heart from beating.

I felt Alice stiffen beside me, but by the time I had turned to her, she was relaxed and bouncing on the balls of her feet again.

"He will be here in exactly 52 seconds," Alice said happily, "just stay where you are Hayley."

I felt myself stiffen as Alice pulled away from me and sat beside the huge man, Emmett. She sent me an encouraging smile as I gripped the back of the chair closest to me. When I heard the tearing of fabrics beneath me, I gasped and pulled away, instantly embarrassed for what I had done. I knew that if I wasn't holding my heart back, a deep red blush would have covered my cheeks. Somewhere to my left I heard a deep chuckle coming from what I guessed was Emmett, but I was too distracted by the new scent entering the house.

My eyes began playing tricks on me as I stared at the doorway, which now held a lean and beautiful man; the same man who I had been searching for the for the last 100-odd years. The same man who was my savior and protector during my youth. This man, Jasper Whitlock, was the only reason I was still sane. Keeping him in mind was the only reason I was still alive. My brother, even when he left for war and never returned, was still saving my life.

Jasper looked at me with a mixture of horrification, confusion, and awe. I could only imagine what was going through his head right now. I thought about tapping into his thoughts, but I was already exhausted from everything that I just couldn't muster the energy.

"Hay- Hayley," Jasper whispered, and that was when I lost it.

Tears poured from my eyes and streamed down my filthy cheeks as a sob escaped my lips. I lost my hold on my heart and it started speeding at a very high rhythm, but I didn't care, I was too focused on the man in front of me. Somewhere in the back of my head, I was aware of confused and frightened whispers, but I lost all care as I raced to where my brother stood, still frozen.

I crashed into his stone body, not even caring that I had probably bruised my entire body; I knew I would just heal it all later. I scrambled to get a good hold on him as I sobbed and gasped with so much force, my body ached. I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck, while his body seemed to unfreeze beneath me. His arms circled around my waist and hoisted me off the ground as he crushed me to him. I felt his face find shelter in the crook of my neck where my shoulder connected, breathing in the deep scents of my dirt-coated hair, as his body shook with tear-less sobs. Somehow I became aware of a voice whispering, thick with tears, and was surprised to realize it was mine.

"I found you, Jazz. I never gave up, and I finally, finally found you."


	2. Chapter 2

Questions rained down on me- _How old are you? What are you? You can cry? Your heart beats? How are you here?_

After Jasper and I had our reunion, Alice called a family meeting, so everyone could be up-to-date on the day's events. Currently everyone in the household was sitting in the living rooms, with Jasper, Alice, and me at the center of attention. All of the people I had met that day were all giving me smiles with varying degrees of enthusiasm. I could tell that some of the family was still cautious about me, well… mostly Rosalie.

I was sitting on the main couch between my brother and his mate, Alice, who were both holding one of my hands. In all of my years, I had never felt so happy and complete. My brother was here, alive! And he had a glorious family, and a beautiful wife who already seemed to adore me.

I could tell from everyone's expression that they were waiting for me to speak and tell my story of how I found them. Suddenly I felt very nervous about sharing my past, because it wasn't the best story. Jasper squeezed my hand and a sense of calm and ease seeped into my body, causing me to feel more confident.

"I'm assuming you all have heard my brother's story," I said softly, "About how he was in the war?"

Everyone nodded and looked captivated by me speaking, which made me tense for only a second before I began.

"I was born in 1848," I began, "five years after Jasper was born. My parents were expecting another dashing boy like Jasper, but they had me, a girl. To say the least, they were not very pleased. During my childhood, my parents despised me, while they adored Jasper. My parents would make me do the most horrible chores, and beat me when things were not done properly, which was most of the time. I grew up, honestly believing that I was useless and no one loved me."

I heard Esme gasp sometime during my speech, and Jasper growl next to me, but I continued on.

"The only reason I survived through my childhood was thanks to my big brother, Jasper. He was everything I needed in life- a friend, a brother, a parent, and most importantly, a protector. He would stand in the way when my mom tried to hit me with her rolling pin, or when my dad would try to smack me. I was nothing to my parents, but Jasper treated me like I was everything, and that is how survived.

"Then the dreaded war came about, which caused Jasper to leave home. Don't get me wrong, I was proud of him- Oh, so proud, but I was frightened of the idea of living in the house alone with my parents. While Jasper was away at war, my parents became very… depressed."

I paused to take a breath and was taken aback by the stricken faces of my brother's new family. They all looked so horrified at my up-bringing. Turning to Jasper, I continued.

"Jazz, you have no idea how bad it got when you left. Momma would sit in the kitchen all day long, staring out the window. She wouldn't feed me, so I would have to go to friends houses for food. Papa became an alcoholic and…and…he would touch me… when Momma was gone…it was terrible."

I didn't realize I was shaking with sobs until Alice pulled me into her arms. Deep rumbling echoed through the house, and I realized that the members of the family were all growling. I peeked through my hair to see Rosalie and Esme's horrified expressions.

I coughed lightly and sat back against the seat, holding onto Alice and Jasper for support. The growling subsided a little, and I found the strength to continue.

"After months and months of Jasper not being around, I too became very depressed in life, but everything changed one cold night in 1864. I don't remember the exact date, but I know it was early January. I was lying in my bed when someone knocked on the door. Momma was in the kitchen and Papa was drinking in living room. They both yelled at me to get the door, though I was the farthest away, nonetheless, I went to fetch the door. I wasn't expecting anything important, just one of my father's friends, but I was so, so wrong.

"They were the three most dazzling people I had ever seen in my life- two men and the one woman. The two men entered my house, both going opposite directions, but the woman stayed with me. Soon I heard screams from both my mother and father, but the woman seemed unfazed when she told me to come with her. I knew in that moment that she was going to kill me, but I wasn't scared. All I wished was that it would end quickly- I didn't want her to drag it out."

I glanced at Jasper and noticed his pained expression, and I instantly felt responsible. I squeezed his hand reassuringly, to which he whispered, "I should have been there."

I shook my head sadly and continued, "The woman took me to the outskirts of town and into the supposedly haunted house that was there. The entire time we walked she explained to me what she was. She told me that her name was Amelia and that she was the first of her kind, along with her three brothers, Aro, Cauis, and Marcus."

When I paused I could practically feel the emotions change in the room. Everyone was paying close attention to my story, but they were now on high- alert. _Did they know Amelia? Did they know her brothers?_

I thought I heard Edward mutter, "Something like that." But I shook it off and continued on with the ending of my story.

"She explained to me that she had been watching me for the past several years, waiting for the appropriate age to change me. She told me that I would be different from everyone of our kind, even different to herself, because I was special.

"You were chosen by me," she had said, "and you will change the life of the vampire existence."

"I honestly didn't know what she meant by that, for I was still expecting to be killed. Amelia brought me into the basement of the house and…bit me. She kept apologizing for the pain, but told me it would be worth it in the end. I don't remember much of my change, but I know that she stayed with me the entire three days, always holding my hand. When I finally woke up though- I was alone. The only thing I found was a note and another pair of clothes. Amelia told me that it was now time I fend for myself. She told me I had to search for you," I said, turning to Jasper. "She wrote that I had to search for you! So I did. I set out running and have been looking for you for that last 146 years."

I fell silent as my story ended and waited for what seemed like a life-time. Everyone was silent and staring as they processed everything that I had said. The first to speak was Carlisle, though he looked the most confused out of the family.

"How exactly are you different, my dear," Carlisle tried to sound soothing. "We all witnessed your heart beat and can see that you can cry, but what else is different? When you walked through the door I was positive you were just another vampire, but now… I'm not quite sure what you are. You remind me of Nessie in a sense."

_Nessie_, I thought, _who is Nessie? What is Nessie?_

"Nessie, or more formerly, Renesmee," Edward said, "is Bella and my daughter. She was conceived and born while Bella was still human. Our daughter is very special compared to other vampires, because she is neither a full vampire nor full human. She has traits of both groups though, so in just we call her a hybrid."

I processed what Edward had said and then became horrified at myself for speaking so rudely out loud. _What is Nessie_, I though sarcastically, _how rude can you get!_

Edward chuckled, "I'm so sorry, Hayley, we are the rude ones. I'm assuming Alice forgot to mention our group's specific talents. I can read the thoughts from the minds around me."

"I can see the future," Alice chirped beside me, "Bella can block physical and mental attacks, Jasper can feel and manipulate the emotions around him, and sweet, sweet Nessie can show you her thoughts through physical contact."

I was slightly taken aback by the amount of talents presented in this coven, but I was slowly beginning to realize that I shouldn't set expectations on anything- just take it as it is. Snapping back to the present I turned to Carlisle, trying to formulate a reasonable answer.

"I don't fully know the extent of my…talents and differences, but from what I learned I am very similar to Renesmee. I can survive like a normal human, but also as a vampire. If I have enough strength, I can actually control my heart to a point where it will stop beating, causing me to become very pale, similar to you all. In order for me to be in perfect health, I do need both blood and human food in my diet. I can sleep, cry, and feel pain like a human, but I can be much more durable because I found I can heal myself. I also, like Edward, can read the thoughts around me… but occasionally I can send thoughts as well."

I realized I had been babbling and abruptly stopped, glancing around at each member of the family. They all seemed to be absorbing my information like hungry sponges, especially Carlisle. From the way he spoke, I could only assume he was much older than me in vampire years. The entire coven actually seemed to be a bit older than me, which I found interesting.

"What is your diet," Carlisle blurted out, not seeming to have control over his questions.

"I actually prefer human food," I smiled shyly, "but when I can't get any, I usually hunt deer. I never liked the idea of killing another human, especially when I was so similar to them."

I noticed that everyone seemed slightly amazed at my diet, which caused me to stir uncomfortably. _Did they have something against me eating animals?_

Edward surprised me by laughing, "No, not at all Hayley. We also eat animals, which is why our eyes are golden. It's just surprising that a rouge vampire would pick up the same diet, without any assistance."

Smiling to myself, I nodded slightly and stifled the yawn I felt approaching, but of course, I didn't go unnoticed.

"Oh dear," Esme said, standing up, "you must be exhausted. Let me get something made for you so you can sleep."

"Oh no," I said quickly, "I can go to the nearest motel. It's no problem! I wouldn't want to cause trouble for you all…"

My thought went blank as I realized everyone was giving me expressions ranging from horrification (Alice and Esme) to amusement (Emmett).

"Sweetheart," Esme began, reaching for my hand, "it would be absolutely no problem at all. We would all be honored if you would stay with us."

"She can have Edward's old room!" Alice chimed in, grabbing my other hand.

"I really wouldn't want to impose," I murmured to no one unparticular.

"You're a part of this family now," Alice whispered as Esme took off to make my bed.

As soon as Alice spoke the word family, I lost it. I began crying uncontrollably into her shoulder as she tried to calm me. Seconds later I felt Jasper wrap his arms around the two of us, trying to also calm me.

I hadn't slept in a house for years, let alone a bed I could call my own. This was all so strange to me- people actually wanting to take care of me. The last person to ever take care of me was Jasper, and now, here I stood, wrapped in his arms.

Waves of calm feelings seemed to seep through my body and I found I could breathe more evenly. The entire family was standing and watching me with expressions of love. I felt close to tears again, but was distracted as little Renesmee ran over and hugged my leg fiercely.

"Goodnight, Aunt Hayley," she said in a sweet voice. "I love you."

Tears pricked at my eyes and I knew that if I spoke, my emotions would betray me, so I only nodded and hugged her back gently. Edward and Bella walked over and each gave me a swift hug, murmuring words of encouragement.

"We'll see you all in the morning," Edward called out before closing the front door behind him.

Emmett and Rosalie came over next to say goodnight, which completely shocked me. During the entire day, I barley heard them utter a word to me.

"Goodnight, little sister," Emmett called out, pulling me into a huge bear hug. He set me back on my feet after spinning me around three times and a smack to the back of the head from Rosalie.

"Goodnight sweetie," Rosalie whispered as she hugged me and kissed my cheek lightly.

I stared after them in confusion and wonderment as they made their up to what I assumed was their room. While I was distracted with confusing thoughts, Carlisle pulled me into a gentle hug, which was followed closely by Esme.

"I have the bed all made for you, sweetheart," Esme smiled. "Once we get time, I will decorate your room accordingly, but for now it should do. Please let us know if there is anything else you need."

"Thank you," I whispered graciously. They were acting like the parents I always dreamed of, even after only knowing me for a few hours.

Once Esme and Carlisle left for their room, Alice and Jasper walked me to what was now my room. Glancing around, I noticed a wall of glass, bare walls, and books everywhere. In the middle of the room, pushed against the wall was a huge bed with light gray blankets and sheets. It was perfect.

Not even worrying about my smelly clothes, dirt covered hair, or nasty skin, I climbed into the bed, relishing in the soft feel of the fabrics. Alice pulled the covers up to my chin, brushed back my lanky, dirty-blonde hair, and kissed my cheek.

"Goodnight, Hayley" she whispered and winked, "I will see you in the morning to help you get ready."

With that, Alice danced out of my rooming, closing the door, leaving Jasper and I alone. I squirmed in the bed, trying to get comfortable, as Jasper walked over and sat beside me. Instantly I wiggled over to him, feeling a sense of calm and exhaustion take over my body. My brother began running his fingers through my hair, which caused my eyes to slowly shut.

"Goodnight Jazz," I whispered, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, kiddo," Jasper murmured. "Now go to sleep, you sound exhausted. I'm not going anywhere. I love you."

"Love you…" I whispered hazily before falling into a deep sleep.

**Hello! So before I wrote a little back story on this story you are reading, I wanted to give you time to actually read a couple chapters of what I've written. **

**This is actually a story I wrote two years ago, based off a dream I had a while ago. I started writing what I remembered from the dream and ended up with this story, which I quite enjoy. **

**This is set a few years after Breaking Dawn, but Nessie is still young (I liked the idea of keeping her as a young little girl). I also loved the idea of having the entire family being really close, especially cause Hayley had such a horrible upbringing, the Cullens feel the need to care for her. **

**I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! I will try to update regularly. I have quite a few chapters written, but I haven't written any more to this in two years, so I'll be updating as I write **


	3. Chapter 3

"What happened after you left, Jazz," I asked quietly. "How did you become like this?"

Jasper and I were lying on the bed, talking about the years when we had been apart. As soon as I was awake, he questioned me about everything: the places I'd been, the people I'd met, but he never told me about himself.

"It's not the greatest story," he began, "but, I guess, neither was yours."

I nodded in approval and motioned for him to continue. Curiosity was taking its hold on me. I wanted to know everything about this family- I wanted to belong with them.

"My story began once I left for war," Jasper began, "where I met three of the most beautiful women I had ever laid eyes on…"

Jasper launched into his story of how he was changed, and I was completely captivated. He told me about Maria, the newborns, the wars he fought in and never lost. The newborn armies Jasper was telling me about sounded completely awful, especially the evil woman who turned him! During my search for Jasper I had met quite a few vampires, but I had never heard of Maria, and I desperately hoped to never meet her. While Jasper told me his story, I realized that I had met his friends Peter and Charlotte- they were the ones who actually pointed me in the right direction.

"Alice was waiting for me at the diner," Jasper smiled, "she already knew I was coming, of course. Even before I knew myself."

"And you kept me waiting a long time too," Alice laughed, walking into my room.

As Alice and Jasper kissed lightly, a huge smile spread across my face. I was incredibly happy that my brother was alive, happy, and with the love of his life. During my 162 years of existence, I had never met 'the one', my mate, but I never felt like I needed one. I was changed at 16, which, according to my new family, was extremely young. Edward was just a year older than me, but he seemed far more mature. The rest of my new brothers and sisters were either 18 or in their early 20s- I was the baby.

Alice pulled me out of my thoughts by dragging me out of bed, "It's time for you to get ready, which means Jasper must leave."

Jasper chuckled, kissed my head, and then slipped out of the room, leaving Alice in charge. As soon as my door was closed, Alice began circling around me, tapping her chin, and looking thoughtful. I couldn't help but giggle a little at her concentration. I knew I was a mess and desperately needed new clothes, but she was looking at me like I was some new toy she just acquired.

"Hmm," she said to herself, "what can I put you in…"

I watched, completely confused, as her eyes went blank and she froze. My arms leaped out to her, but before I could reach her she broke into a grin and ran out of my room. Before I could process what had happened, Alice was back in my room, towing a simple, dark blue sundress at her side.

"You're going to look perfect," Alice purred, "once I'm through with you."

"Whatever you say, Alice," I smiled, as she pushed me into the huge bathroom.

Glancing in the mirror, I realized how completely filthy I was. Dirt coated my hair and was streaked across my face. My once blue shirt was now black from the years of no washing and mud. Shivering with disgust, I rushed to the shower, throwing my clothes to the floor in a single motion. Somewhere in the room, Alice chuckled at my haste, but the noise was drowned out as I turned on the hot water.

"I'll let you relax," Alice called to me. "Take your time!"

Before I could stop myself, I called out, "Alice!"

The door swung back open, "Yes?"

"Could…Could you stay in here," I whispered, poking my head out, "with me?"

Alice's smile brightened her whole face, "Of course!"

I smiled and went back to washing my hair, but soon found myself asking about Alice's story. The only thing I knew about her were the things that everyone else had said. If this woman was my sister-in-law, I wanted to know all I could.

"I actually don't know much of my change and childhood," Alice said glumly, "but I will tell you everything I remember."

I listened attentively as Alice told me what she knew from her past- her parents, sister, the visions, and finally the asylum. From what she told me, her childhood sounded awful, but she didn't seem to be holding any grudges. I was envious of her selfless forgiving; I was still hurt from my father and mother.

"The last couple months before I found the Cullens," Alice said, "I spent waiting for Jasper."

By the time Alice finished her story, I was standing on the cold tile, wrapped in two towels. I hadn't felt this clean in years.

"The shower was amazing," I told her, "thank you."

Alice just smiled and sat me down in front of the mirror. _Now the real work begins_, I pictured Alice saying as she brushed my hair.

"I've never had anyone brush my hair before," I admitted.

I peeked up at Alice through the reflection in the mirror and noticed that if she could shed tears, she would have been crying. For the next hour or so, Alice brushed, dried, cut, and styled my hair, applied make-up, and completely transformed me, as she said.

"Now keep your eyes closed," Alice instructed. "I'm going to help you get the dress on so you can see yourself in the full-length mirror. No peeking!"

As instructed, I kept my eyes closed as Alice moved me into my room and helped me slip on the blue dress. Beside me, I could practically feel Alice quiver with excitement, and I found it hard not to be excited myself.

"You look so beautiful," Alice breathed, "open your eyes!"

My eyes flew open and peered into the mirror before me, shocked to see the girl staring back at me. Alice had cut my long, dirty-blonde hair to where it now sat a little above my shoulders, curling slightly at the ends. The makeup matched perfectly with the blue dress, and made my hazel eyes pop. The blue dress hugged the top of my body and flared off from my waist to where it ended, just above my knees. I actually felt pretty, which was a new feeling for me.

"Soooo," Alice dragged out the word, "do you like it?"

I turned to her with tears in my eyes, "I love it!"

She smiled and pulled me into a tight hug, just as my door opened and Rosalie walked in. Even though she was wearing a worn pair of skinny jeans and a plain white tee, she looked beautiful.

"Well don't you look gorgeous," Rosalie smiled, spinning me around in a circle. "Alice is magical, though she didn't have to work hard- you were already beautiful to begin with."

A smile spread across my face from Rosalie's compliment. When I first saw her, I wasn't sure she would want anything to do with me, but now she seemed to genuinely like me.

"Esme and Carlisle sent me up," Rosalie told us. "Since you were too busy for breakfast, lunch is served," she added with a wink.

My stomach made a gurgling sound, demanding food, which caused Alice and Rosalie to giggle. Without another word, Rosalie, Alice, and I made our way downstairs. I was surprised to find everyone in the house, all acting like a typical family. Esme, Carlisle, and Edward were cooking in the kitchen, Bella was reading to Renesmee while she ate, and Emmett and Jasper were playing video games on the couch.

When Alice, Rosalie, and I reached the stairs, everyone's eyes found me, which caused me to blush. Smiles formed on everyone's face and Emmett even whistled, which caused my face to turn an even deeper shade of red.

"Don't pay him any attention," Rose whispered.

"He's an idiot," Alice added.

"You look good, squirt," Emmett yelled, "and I am NOT an idiot!"

Laughter shook through the house as the three of us made our way down to the first floor. Rosalie and Alice went to their husbands as I walked over to the kitchen bar, sitting next to Renesmee and Bella.

"Hi Aunt Hayley," Renesmee smiled at me. "Aunt Alice did a really good job with your hair! You look very pretty!"

"Thank you," I mumbled, trying not to laugh.

"How did you sleep last night," Edward asked, passing me a plate piled with a turkey sandwich and a salad.

"Was the bed comfortable," Esme added.

"Everything was fine," I said around my food, "perfect even. It was the first time I slept on a bed in years. I usually slept outside."

Esme's face looked absolutely heartbroken.

"Well that will never happen again," she said determinedly, "your home is here, with us."

Agreements sounded throughout the house from various family members while I smiled up at Esme. I continued to eat while the rest of the house went on with their daily activities. Sometime during my lunch, Bella excused herself to take a phone call, leaving Edward, Renesmee, and Carlisle in the kitchen. Edward was sharing with me part of his past, including what he could remember of his human life, his change, and meeting Bella. I learned that Bella was still technically a newborn, though she had impeccable strength from what I saw.

"Bella can tell you the rest of the story," Edward chuckled. "I've told you my bit."

"It sounds lovely," I whispered, "all of your stories seem to end so happily."

"What do you mean by that," Edward questioned, looking genuinely confused.

"Well," I couldn't find the correct words, "you all have your soul mates; your perfect other half, and now you get to spend the rest of forever with them. Plus, you all have each other. I'm probably explaining this all wrong, but I wouldn't wish for anything else in life. I would feel perfect being surrounded by my family and my mate for the rest of forever. All of you have that… I hope that makes sense."

Edward seemed to take in everything I said, "It does actually. It's certainly a more positive way of looking at our lives."

For a moment Edward and I smiled at each other, and I felt good. I felt like I was slowly becoming a part of their family. I was becoming a Cullen.

"You are," he whispered and winked, causing me to giggle.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Hayley," Carlisle interjected, "but I've been meaning to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind of course."

"I don't mind at all," I replied.

"Yesterday, you mentioned the one who changed you, Amiela, and her three brothers, Aro, Caius, and Marcus," Carlisle said, "and I was just wondering if you've ever spoken with them again."

A shiver rand up my spine and my blood turned cold at the mention of her name. I was grateful for the change because I was able to reunite with my brother and find a fabulous new home, but Amiela terrified me. There were things she told me that I wouldn't even let myself process in my head. They were all locked away in the back of my head, never to be revisited again.

"I actually never met the three brothers, only heard about them," I told Carlisle's honestly. "And I never saw Amiela after I was changed… Why? Do you know them? Have you met them?"

I was suddenly scared of the idea that my new family had met Amiela.

"We have never met Amiela," Carlisle reassured me, "but we have met her brothers a few times. Those are stories for later though."

I was about to question him further when Rosalie suddenly appeared at my side, groaning.

"Ugh," Rosalie whined, "the dogs are coming over."

Emmett and Esme walked into the kitchen, each walking to their respective mates, while I stared in confusion.

"Oh! I have to get something cooking for them," Esme started bustling around the kitchen while I glanced at everyone.

"Wait," I tried to comprehend, "you guys…have dogs?"

Jasper and Emmett began shaking the house with their laughter, while Rosalie snorted rudely. Alice and Bella made their way over to where everyone was in the kitchen and Carlisle began to chuckle as well.

"You could say that," Edward laughed, and was rewarded by a smack to the head from Bella.

"Hayley," Bella walked over to me, "you are going to get to meet some dear friends of mine today. They are part of your family as well."

"Not my family," Rose muttered.

Bella rolled her eyes in Rosalie's general direction then turned to smile reassuringly at me. I was too confused to answer, so I just smiled and nodded. Around me, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper scrunched up their faces like they smelled something terrible, while Esme, Carlisle, Alice, Bella, and Renesmee just smiled wider. Edward continued to laugh at my comment, though I didn't get the humor.

Before I had time to blink, Alice and Bella had pulled me over to the living room, each grasping my hand. Renesmee and Edward came to stand next to us, and soon the entire family was seated in the living room. Moments later, the front door opened and three extremely tall, shirt-less men walked in.

My first thought was that they were brothers. They each had the same tan complexion, short, black hair, and impossibly tall height that made me feel incredibly small. I also noticed that they each smelled similar. To me, they smelled like the woods, and I loved it. I had spent the past few years in the woods, so I had become accustomed to the smell. I had no idea why Rose, Emmett, and Jasper thought they smelled bad.

"Jake!" Renesmee squealed, running over to the tallest man and jumping into his arms.

The three men looked absolutely dangerous, but I was amazed to see how each of their faces softened when little Renesmee ran over and greeted them all with hugs and kisses. Bella, Alice, and Esme were the next to greet them with hugs, and again I was surprised to see how close they all were to each other.

"Hayley," Bella called, "come over here. I want to introduce you to our good friends."

I found myself suddenly nervous about meeting these new people, not only because they looked dangerous, but because I knew they were different. They weren't like the Cullens, but I had a feeling they weren't entirely human either.

Edward gently pushed me in the direction of Bella and the three new men after I had frozen in my spot. Once I reached the three men, Bella grabbed my hand and squeezed, trying to show me that everything was fine. I guess my feelings were more evident than I originally thought.

"Hayley, this is Jacob, Embry, and Quil," Bella pointed out each specific man. "Boys, this is Hayley Whitlock- Jasper's younger sister."

I did not miss the surprised expressions on the young men's faces as they registered what Bella said. In that moment I became certain that these new additions did know the Cullen's secret. After their shock subsided, each boy shook my hand and introduced themselves more personally.

"Hello Hayley," one of the boys purred, "I'm Embry."

I didn't have time to respond when low growls erupted from Edward and Jasper, sending Emmett into hysterias. Shaking my head and hiding my smile, I decided I didn't even want to know what was going through Embry's head. Before things could get any worse for him, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"So you guys are the dogs?" My hand flew to my mouth.

Laughter filled the room from my family, while the three men didn't seem all that amused. To say the least, I was very confused.

"No," Jacob told me, "whatever your family here is telling you about us is wrong. We are not dogs."

"We are shape shifters," Quil added.

"And you turn into dogs," I questioned.

"No!" Quil and Embry shouted which caused me to giggle and laughter to fill the house again.

"We are shape shifters," Jacob explained, "we morph into wolves."

This new information stumped me, "You mean… you guys are werewolves? Like the whole changing with the moon and silver powder and stuff?"

This time, it was the three boys turn to laugh.

"No," Quil chortled, "that's just a bunch a bull."

"I'm guessing you've learned that the myths of your people are also false," Jacob went on to explain. "The same goes for us. We shape shifters can change at will. What you're thinking about is the Children of the Moon, but they are extinct."

Questions formed in my head at the new information- I had never met werewolves before. I had heard of their existence, but I never really believed that they were real. Now, standing before me was the living proof.

"Jake," Bella said, grabbing everyone's attention, "I thought you said Seth was coming with you guys."

"Oh, he is," Jake laughed, "but he's trying to park the car correctly. We are teaching him how to drive."

The three boys broke into mischievous grins as Rosalie quietly complained to Emmett about the possibility of broken belongings. I was too distracted by the possibility of another boy to listen to Rose. I didn't have to ponder long before we heard the new boy's voice.

"Sorry I took so long, but I'm just learning how to get around in that thing," the new boy said from the garage door. "Jake never taught me how to reverse so I was stuck for I don't know how long! Oohh, Esme, are you making cookies? It smells so go-"

The entire world seemed to freeze as soon as the new boy, Seth, walked into view.

Everyone fell silent as he stared at me, a look of pure wonderment on his face. In that single moment, I had never felt more confused or beautiful in my life. The way he looked at me was like a blind man seeing for the first time, and I couldn't help but blush under his stare. Without even speaking, he made me feel like the most beautiful girl alive.

The other, more rational part of my brain was confused as to what was happening. I was oddly drawn to the beautiful man before me, but I couldn't figure out why. I had never seen him a day in my life before this moment, but, nonetheless, I felt a deep connection being formed between this man and myself, all from a single moment of eye contact. I never knew how much my life would change once he walked through the door.

Several moments went by with pure silence, and I soon began to feel uncomfortable. Breaking Seth's gaze, I glanced around, noticing everyone's varying expressions. The three other boys I had already met looked ecstatic, yet nervous. Bella, Esme, Alice, and Renesmee looked absolutely joyous, all wearing identical grinning faces. Carlisle and Edward both seemed rather intrigued and nervous, while Rosalie looked annoyed and disgusted. Emmett, as per usual, looked highly amused.

I took in all of their expressions, but none of them stopped me like my brother's. He looked absolutely livid. If my imagination was more creative, I could probably picture steam rolling out of his ears and his face turning a bright shade of red. The growls rumbling in his chest were feral, and I found myself becoming worried about Seth's safety.

"Well," Emmett boomed, "this should definitely make things more interesting!"


	4. Chapter 4

"What's going on," my voice rang out, wavering slightly.

Everyone seemed to be frozen in their spot, neither moving nor speaking. I let my mind wander, picking up the thoughts of my fellow family members, but they were all muddled with confusing thoughts. Before I could give myself a headache, I closed my mind to where I could only hear my own thoughts, but it didn't help any. My thoughts were just as confusing as the Cullen's.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Seth take a step in my direction, which seemed to wake up everyone from their trance. Jasper growled viciously, running to stand in front of me, while Embry and Quil ran to Seth, holding him back. Jasper bent down into a protective stance in front of me, setting off alarms in my head. I glanced at Seth and noticed his pained expression and my heart went out to him, but Quil and Embry were already working on damage control.

"I'm not going to hurt her," I thought I heard Seth scoff.

Jasper continued to guard me and growl menacingly, even after Alice flitted to his side, scolding him for his rude behavior. Around me, I noticed Rosalie was also following Jasper's lead in guarding me, but I had no idea from what. Jacob looked confused as to which side to turn to- the boy with the pained expression or the girl who looked lost. Everyone else in my family just looked worried for either me or Seth, though I couldn't decipher why.

"Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on," I called out, much more strongly.

A second later I felt the edge of my dress being tugged on, so I glanced down. Little Renesmee was standing just by my knee, grinning up at me. I felt her small hand press against my knee, and then image after image of Jacob and Renesmee playing together circled through my head. Jacob running with Renesmee on his back, Jacob pushing her on the swings out back, Jacob tucking her in at night, kissing her forehead softly. She showed me how much he loved her and how she adored him. The last images were of Seth. I saw him playing games with Renesmee, cooking with Esme and Edward, wrestling with Emmett, and cleaning with Bella and Alice.

Renesmee pulled her hand from my knee to grab hold of my hand instead, allowing me to fall back into the present moment. Jasper and Rosalie were still growling and crouched down, Alice and Esme were trying to grab their attention, and Seth was being held back by Quil and Embry.

"Seth's imprinted on you," Renesmee said quietly, but I had no doubt that everyone in the house heard her small voice.

"Excuse me," I said, my voice rising, glancing around at everyone.

Edward began walking towards me, "Hayley, maybe you should come over and sit down."

"I would like someone to explain to me what is going on," I yelled, backing up and bumping into Jacob.

I hadn't even realized he had walked up behind me. As soon as my skin made contact with him I felt the temperature difference. His skin felt on fire compared to my colder touch.

"I can explain everything," Jacob tried to smile, "but I do recommend that you sit."

All I could do was blink in confusion and stand in defiance, but that all crumpled when Renesmee dragged me over to the couch. She sat me on the couch and climbed onto my lap, making herself comfortable. Bella and Esme soon followed, sitting on either side of me, while Alice sat on the ground, leaning back against my knees. Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper stood around the couch from behind, while Edward and Carlisle went to talk with Seth, Embry, and Quil. I was still trying to get used to how close everyone was in the family.

"I'm guessing you're very confused and have a lot of questions as to what is going on," Jacob started, sitting down on the couch opposite of me.

"You got that right, bub," I snorted angrily. I didn't mean to sound mean, but I was starting to become frustrated with everyone staring at me, but giving me no answers. Bella reached for my hand and Esme wrapped her arm around my shoulders.

"What Nessie said was correct," Jacob began, "Seth has imprinted on you."

"What's imprinting," my voice came out squeakier than I intended.

"Ah, that is the ultimate question," Jacob chuckled. "You never know how to perfectly define it, but I'll try for your sake. Imprinting is like love at first sight, but stronger, it's like when you see _her _everything in your world changes. It's no longer gravity holding you to the planet, but her, and nothing else matters. You would do anything, or be anything for her."

"But, but, but," I tried to gain composure, "I'm not like you! I'm a vampire! Well, not even a full vampire. I don't know what I am, but I'm not like you!"

"It doesn't matter," Jacob said slowly, "most of the imprinted girls are all just regular humans. They are not like us, but if that's what you're worried about, take Nessie for example. She is my imprint."

I glanced at everyone around me with a horrified expression and Bella squeezed my hand to tell me she understood. Without looking at Seth, I asked one of the harder questions, knowing that I was about to hurt his feelings.

"Do you," I said slowly, "get a choice?"

A sharp pang went through my heart as soon as the words left my mouth. I secretly snuck a glance at Seth and noticed he wasn't there anymore. The boys, Carlisle, and Edward must have pulled him into the garage. I suddenly felt incredibly lonely in the crowded room, though I would never admit that aloud.

"Of course you do," Jacob said, leaning forward, "but, sometimes these things just choose you, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"But you will never have to do anything you don't want to do," Jasper added sternly.

"Exactly," Jacob said, starting pointedly at my brother, "but it's hard to deny true love when it's standing in front of you."

"This is too much," I began muttering, and it really was. I couldn't deny to myself that I felt a strong connection with Seth, a stronger connection than I had ever had with anyone. I couldn't deny that I felt a deep ache in my chest because he had left the same room, but this was all too much to take in.

"Its okay, sweetie," Esme began soothing me. "We are all here to help you figure this out."

I didn't have time to respond to her because Edward had run into the room, looking panicky. Jacob shot up from his seat, looking alert, and everyone around me listened attentively, waiting for Edward to explain.

"Leah's on her way up to the house," Edward's words came out rushed, "she's not that far away."

I heard Jacob swear under his breath as he walked to the door, followed by Edward. Carlisle, Embry, Quil, and Seth made a reappearance and I felt my heart beat swell with a silent joy. Blushing slightly, I kept my eyes away from Seth as everyone became tense around the house.

"Who's Leah," I whispered to Bella.

"Seth's older sister," Bella responded, "the only female werewolf that we know."

"She's not the biggest fan of us," Alice chimed in quietly, getting up to stand with Jasper.

Before I heard the door knock, Jacob was pulling open the door, greeting Leah with a wide, innocent smile.

"Leah, what are you doing here? I thought you didn't want to come along with us."

"There wasn't anything to do down at the Rez," I heard a woman's voice respond, "So I came over here to waste some time."

In the next moment, Leah came into view. I noticed she had a harsh beauty about her in worn jean shorts, a loose tank top, and black hair that came to a point at her chin. Her nose slightly scrunched up as she registered the smells in the house, her eyes instantly finding me.

"Who's she?" Leah nodded her head in my direction.

In the smallest of movements, everyone in the house shifted. Edward and Jacob moved closer together, putting a larger barrier between myself and Leah, while Bella, Esme, and Rosalie circled closer to me on the couch. Emmett and Jasper moved to the front of the couch, and Seth took a step in my direction, blocking my gaze of Leah.

"What's going on," I heard Leah say angrily. "Why are you all acting weird?"

Jacob took a step toward the girl, "Leah, this is the Cullen's newest family member, Hayley. She is Jasper's biological sister."

"Ookkaayy," Leah dragged the word out, "but why are you all acting funky?"

"Well," Jacob took another step forward, "something happened when Seth saw her."

There was a moment of silence before Leah spoke that I felt my skin begin to crawl. I looked up and noticed Seth looking at me from the corner of his eyes. My cheeks began to blush and I looked down.

"What do you mean," she asked.

"Leah," Jacob said calmly, "Seth saw Hayley. As in… he _saw_ Hayley."

There was another moment of silence and I could practically feel the tension forming in the room. Then suddenly everything went into chaos.

"Emmett! Don't let her through," Edward yelled as deep growls and screams tore through the house.

Suddenly I felt myself being lifted off the couch and being shoved behind a large body. It took me a moment, but I realized Emmett had pushed me behind him as he and Rose took protective stances in front of me. I peeked through their arms to see what else was happening around me.

Off to the side, Esme was watching over Renesmee, as Alice and Bella growled in Leah's general direction. Edward, Carlisle, and Jasper were standing behind Jacob as he tried to calm Leah, who was screaming and growling profanities. Seth looked stuck in the middle, not knowing whether to walk to his sister or turn to me and the other Cullens.

In the next moment Leah and I shared a brief moment of eye contact, and she lost it. She drove towards me as Embry and Quil tried to restrain her. Edward, Carlisle, and Jasper took a step toward Leah, while Seth took a step toward me.

"No," Leah bellowed, "let me see the filthy blood-sucker! She is not getting away with this! She will not sink her claws any deeper into my brother! Disgusting little bitch!"

Rosalie and Emmett moved in closer to me as my hand flew to my mouth.

"Let me go," Leah shrieked. "Let me go, you bastards!"

"Leah," Jacob said smoothly, "you know there is nothing you can do about this. You just need to accept it. Everything will be alright."

"I'll kill her," Leah whispered venomously, "I swear I'll kill her."

"No," Seth surprised us all by bellowing, "Leah you will not lay one hand on her, do you hear me?"

I grasped onto Emmett's shirt to keep myself from falling over in my spot as Leah screamed at Seth. In response, Seth walked over to where Emmett and Rosalie were guarding me, bending down into a protective stance as well. Even though I didn't think it was possible, Leah began to scream even louder as Embry and Quil tried to drag her out of the house.

"Look at what she's done to him! You will pay you little bitch," Leah called out. "Your kind may have taken the love of my life, but you sure as hell won't take my brother too. I will kill you before you corrupt him even more, I promise you that!"

With that last threat, Embry and Quil pushed Leah out the front door, followed closely by Jacob. Jasper was at my side in an instant, wrapping me in his arms, assuring me everything would be okay. I glanced up at Seth and found him staring at me with pained, apologetic eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered before slipping out the front door.

Once the door was closed and Seth was gone, I welcomed the deep pain with open arms as it found home in my chest. I'm guessing Jasper could sense my heartbreak, because he pulled me even closer to him, murmuring promises to never let Leah hurt me. Little did he know that I wasn't hurt about Leah, but rather her brother, who now had a tie on my heart.

Sensing eyes on me, I glanced up to find Edward giving me a knowing look, nodding sadly. Concentrating on my thought, I gently pushed it towards Edward.

_Don't tell Jasper, please. Just keep that thought between you and me, ok?_

I watched as Edward's face took on a look of puzzlement and then understanding as he nodded secretly in my direction.

"Later," he mouthed, and I nodded slowly.

"I'm so sorry," Jasper whispered into my hair, "you will never have to see them again."

With that, I finally broke down, crying hysterically into my brother's chest. He sat down and pulled me into his lap, holding me close. I hoped he never found out the real reason behind my crying, because I knew he would be heartbroken.

Yes, I was terrified of Leah, but I was even more horrified of never seeing her brother again.


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next few days, I learned everything I possibly could about my new family and their lives. They all told me everything they could about their human lives, their change, and their current life- all of which I found fascinating. Carlisle shared with me his experiences with the three brothers, and I became glad that I had never met them. For an entire day, Bella stayed with me in my room, sharing her stories about her life as a human, with Edward, and the werewolves.

One day Carlisle surprised me by inviting all of the boys from the Rez for me to meet, minus Leah and Seth. I met everyone that day- Sam, his Emily, Paul, his Rachel, Jared, his Kim, Quil's Claire, Colin, Brady, and Billy Black. They all welcomed me with open arms, accepting me into their family as well. Everyone promised to help me cope with Leah and the imprint, though Colin and Brady didn't seem quite as enthusiastic.

During the days after meeting the wolf pack, I officially became Carlisle and Esme's baby girl and everyone else's little sister. I really felt like I belonged with them and complete, but no matter how happy I was, I still felt emptiness deep in my chest. No matter how hard I tried to deny the truth, I knew that my heart was longing for Seth, and each passing day made the pain that much more unbearable.

"No way," I snorted, laughing at Emmett, "stop messing with me!"

"This is complete fact, squirt," Emmett said, using his nickname for me. "To this day, we cannot play the song without Edward getting all upset. It's hysterical!"

Emmett and I burst into laughter as Edward walked into the living room. Bella, Edward, Emmett, and I were the only ones in the house because the rest of the family had gone hunting.

"What lies are you telling her now, Emmett," Edward said, staring disapprovingly at his brother.

"Oooh, Eddie," Emmett whined, "don't be such a party-pooper! Look, you ruined the kid's fun!"

Edward and Emmett turned to look at me and I turned my face into a mock pout, making tears come to my eyes. Seconds later I lost it and began laughing hysterically. Edward smirked, walking to the kitchen to make me lunch, while Emmett groaned.

"Great going, kid," Emmett complained, "we need to work on your pout."

I continued to laugh as Emmett grumbled and flipped through the channels on the huge TV in front of us. After a few minutes, he settled on a comedy when Bella walked into the room, phone pressed against her ear.

"Yes, I agree…" she was saying. "Sure, that sounds good… Do you want to ask her or… ok sure, here she is."

Bella was sitting at my side in the next instant, holding her small phone out to me.

"It's Jacob," she mouthed.

I smiled and took the phone, excited to talk to Jacob. Even though I had only been living with the Cullens for a little over a week, I was extremely close to everyone, including Jacob, though I hadn't heard from him in a while.

"Hey Jacob," I said, pushing myself off from the couch to take a seat on the bottom of the staircase. Trying to find privacy in this house was impossible, but I tried anyway.

"Hey Hayley, I have someone who wants to talk to you," Jacob laughed, getting right to the point. "He's basically ripping the phone out of my ear."

My heart began to pick up speed as Jacob chuckled in my ear.

"But first I wanted to ask you something," he said more sternly. "How are you holding up? Honestly, and I know you know what I'm asking."

I felt the deep weight on my chest clench even tighter when Jacob asked his question. I suddenly felt more vulnerable in that second, like he could see right through me, even though he was miles away with the one thing that could take the pain away.

"Not too good," I whispered honestly.

"Well hopefully this will help some," Jake tried to sound hopeful.

In the background I could hear Jacob talking to another person, telling him what I had said and that he could talk to me now. There was a moment of rustling on the other end, and then I heard his voice.

"Hi, Hayley," Seth's voice sounded strained.

My heart began to hammer against the inside of my chest as soon as he said my name. This was the first time we had technically spoken to each other, because the first day, everyone was a little preoccupied. The last few days, Jasper hadn't let him return with the rest of the wolf pack, all because he thought he was protecting me, but really, he was hurting me more and more each day.

"Hi," I whispered hoarsely.

"God, it's good to hear your voice," Seth blurted out. "Oh, jeez, I'm sorry, I… uh, didn't mean to say that… Man, I'm such an idiot."

Laughter bubbled up my throat as Seth continued to apologize for his outburst. Somewhere in the house, I thought I heard my present family chuckle. Without a doubt, I knew they were all listening intently on Seth and my conversation. I became instantly grateful that the family members currently in the house were all a fan of Seth.

"Don't say that," I playfully scolded him. "You're not an idiot. You're just not the brightest crayon in the box."

This time, it was Seth's turn to laugh, and I couldn't help but smile at the sound. Many thoughts swirled around in my head, but the most evident one was- _I want to always make him laugh like this_.

"Hayley, I actually wanted to call because I wanted to ask you something," Seth finally said.

My heart froze for an instant and then began speeding away, "yes?"

"I… uh, wanted to know," Seth struggled to say. "If you would like to… umm, comeouttotheRez," he mumbled the words together, "I mean, you could hang out with everyone and Emily really wants to talk to you, so if you don't want to see me then…"

"I'd love to," I blurted, interrupting him.

There was a moment of silence and then Seth said, "Really?" I could practically see his grin through the phone.

"Yes," I laughed quietly.

"Tha- That's great! Perfect," Seth began babbling, "I can't wait! This is going to be so grea-"

I began laughing and soon realized it was no longer Seth speaking in my ear, but Jacob.

"While he continues to act like a complete idiot," Jacob laughed, "I'll save you from his babbling. What do you say to us picking you, Bella, Edward, and Nessie up in an hour?"

"Sound perfect," I smiled.

"Great," Jacob replied before hanging up, "we'll see you all soon."

My hand holding the phone slipped down to my side as I tried to wipe the smile off my face with no luck. Jacob was absolutely right- hearing Seth's voice had helped a lot, and it made me that much more excited to see him.

"We called Alice and she is running Nessie back here," Bella said, walking over to me. "We thought you would feel more comfortable with Edward and me there."

"Thanks," I whispered as she sat down beside me. I glanced up and noticed that Emmett and Edward had left the room, giving Bella and me a moment of privacy.

"Can I ask you something," I said, turning to her.

"Of course," she smiled.

"Since Jacob imprinted on Nessie," I began, "how often does he come over to see her?"

"Well," Bella stopped to think, "It depends on when he is patrolling. If he's been out patrolling all night, then he won't come over for a few days, but he usually comes over a few times a week. He'll even sleep at Edward and my cottage on certain weekends. He usually can't stay away for long, and Nessie can't stand to be away from him for long either."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I can't be positive," Bella seemed to be in deep concentration, "because I don't know what it's like to imprint or be imprinted on, but probably the pain of being away from your loved one. I know, personally, that I can't be away from Edward too long without feeling some sort of aching. I'm guessing the same happens for all of the imprints, but on a different scale."

I stared intently my hands as tears blurred my vision momentarily. I silently cursed as one slipped from my eye down to my shorts, making a small wet dot. Bella reached over to place her hand over mine, squeezing gently.

"It's ok to miss him," Bella whispered for only me to hear. "I know you're confused, but it's ok to have those feelings."

Turning, I threw my arms around Bella's neck, hugging and thanking her for understanding my situation to the best of her ability. Bella just laughed and hugged me back, acting like the sister I always wished for.

"Hayley! Up to your room," Alice yelled, entering the house. "We don't have much time to get you ready for today."

Bella and I looked up to see Nessie and Alice running into the house, both sporting identical grins. Nessie hugged me quickly before Alice all but dragged me up the stairs, through my room, and into the bathroom. Once the door was shut behind me, Alice turned and pulled me into a fierce hug, squealing with delight.

"I'm just oh, so happy that you will get to see him," Alice pulled back, sitting me in the chair. "I knew that it was causing you pain not to see him, but it's hard to crack Jasper when he sets his mind to something."

I froze in my seat as Alice began to fix my hair and apply makeup. Jasper- I hadn't even thought about Jasper! He was going to be so furious with me!

"Alice," I said quietly, "does Jasper know?"

"What Jasper doesn't know won't hurt him," Alice winked at me in the mirror. "For now, you just have fun with Seth. We will deal with your stubborn brother later, got it?"

I instantly felt a small weight lift from my chest, "Got it."

In record time, Alice was finished. She had curled my hair, using a clip to pull back my bangs, while the rest floated around my face and neck. While I was comfortable wearing just shorts and a t-shirt, Alice insisted I wear the yellow sundress she picked out. In the end, I surrendered and wore the tube top dress with a short-sleeved, white jacket over top. Alice's victorious grin just made me laugh as she and I made our way down the stairs to where Edward, Bella, and Nessie were waiting for me.

"They should be here any minute," Alice laughed, "you all just disappeared."

Right on cue, there was a knock on the door.


	6. Chapter 6

Nessie skipped over to the door, threw it open, and ran into Jacob's open arms. The look of pure joy that swelled on each of their faces was enough to send tears to my eyes. As Bella walked over to hug Jacob next, my eyes searched for Seth. As soon as I found him the deep aching in my chest seemed to disintegrate. I was too lost staring at Seth that I didn't notice Jacob pulling me off the ground in a huge hug. A small squeal tore from my lips as Jacob spun me around in circles, laughing hysterically.

"Jacob," I groaned, smacking him on the arm.

"What, Hayles," Jacob whined, "I was just having some fun."

"My turn! My turn," Nessie shrieked as Jacob set me back on the ground, picking up Nessie.

I smiled as she giggled in a way that only little girls can giggle. Glancing to my left, I saw Edward and Bella, wrapped in each other's arms, smiling at their little girl. When Bella had told me her stories, she had mentioned how hard it was for her and Edward to accept Jacob's imprint of Nessie. Now, from the looks of it, they seemed happy for both their daughter and Jacob.

"Emily's really excited to talk to you," Seth said quietly next to my ear.

"Oh!" I gasped, moving slightly backwards, the back of my head colliding with Seth's chest.

In that single moment of contact, my body came alive in a clash of sparks. My heart began to race in my chest and the skin pressed against him tingled with fire. Suddenly, everything in the world seemed insignificant compared to Seth and myself. My family, my friends, and even my brother all seemed to disappear as Seth and I made contact. In all of my years, I had never experienced anything like I was feeling now.

It was absolutely marvelous.

"Oh," Seth's found came out hoarse, "I didn't mean to um…come up behind you. Sorry."

Seth took a step away from me and the ache came instantaneously. My heart, and now body, was craving him. I didn't know what to make of these feelings.

"It's okay," I replied quickly, not really knowing what to do.

Suddenly Edward was at my side, placing his hand on the small of my back, escorting me outside. I hadn't noticed that Jacob, Bella, and Nessie were already sitting in the car, waiting for us.

"Thank you," I whispered for only Edward to hear.

"Don't mention it," he smiled.

Edward and I slid into the back seat with Bella as Seth hustled out of the house and took his seat up front with Jacob.

"I should be making Seth here drive," Jacob said, backing out of the driveway, "but, I would really like to make it to the Rez this week."

For the quick ride over to the Rez, everyone just joked around, but I didn't fail to notice the silence from Seth and myself. Once we arrived, I tore out of the car, glad to be in the open air again. We were parked in front of a small wooden house surrounded by trees. Through the open door I could hear the sounds of someone cooking and smell the delicious aromas. Behind me, I heard Jacob make an odd noise, almost like a dog barking, and then Sam and Emily walked out the house, arms wrapped around each other.

We all exchanged hugs with Emily and Sam, who then invited us into their home for a snack. Everyone gathered around their kitchen table, sharing jokes and the huge blueberry muffins Emily had made. After a while of visiting, Emily pulled me to the side.

"I was wondering," Emily asked me, "if you would like to come on a walk with me?"

I quickly glanced around and noticed everyone laughing as Sam and Nessie playfully wrestled on the floor. Smiling, I turned back to Emily and nodded, but not before noticing Seth looking in my direction.

"We won't be long," Emily called out before leaving the house.

The two of us set off into the surrounding forest in a comfortable silence, each dodging upturned roots and clumps of rocks. Soon I felt sand squish under my shoes and could smell the salty ocean. I'd only been to the ocean a few times in my life, yet I was still blown away by its power and beauty. I could spend hours just sitting here, watching the waves crash against the rocks.

Emily began walking down the beach and I quickly followed, ready to know what she wanted to talk to me about. After a few more minutes of walking and silence, Emily sat on the sand, underneath a large tree. She patted the spot next to her and I quietly obeyed. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as Emily placed her hands on her growing belly, rubbing small circles. We were all very excited about Emily and Sam's new additions joining the family soon.

"I invited you to come over today," Emily began, "because I felt like I could better explain to you everything that is going on. Out of everyone, I probably know the most about what you are feeling. The pain, the longing, and the connection that all come with an imprint."

I remained silent, feeling very vulnerable in front of Emily. I absolutely loathed the feeling, and in any other circumstance, would have been running to hide, but I knew that would be rude. Emily was only trying to help me in the best way she could.

"Growing up, Leah and I were like sisters, the best of friends, probably because we were the oldest cousins in the family," Emily laughed. "To say we were inseparable was an understatement, but as we got older, we went our separate ways. My family moved to another tribe where I continued my education and stayed close to my parents. Leah and I would talk on the phone weekly, but we never got together, that was, until she told me about Sam disappearing.

"Leah and Sam were high school sweethearts. Every time she and I would talk, I was bound to hear a new story about her amazing Sam. They were planning on getting married after Leah started college. I had never heard of a love like theirs, so you can only imagine her pain after he disappeared. So, being supportive in the only way I could think of, I came back to La Push.

"Leah was a wreck, as predicted, but it still broke my heart. She was the closest thing I had to a sister in my life. A few days after the search for Sam began, Charlie, Bella's father, found him in the woods. I heard that he was completely nude and shaking like he had just escaped death. Now, I guess you can understand why, but at the time Leah and I were confused as to what happened with him.

"Though she was ecstatic that he was found, Leah was not allowed to see Sam. As you can guess, this angered her to no end. Leah began to slowly unravel during this time, all thanks to Sam, and it began to anger me. I couldn't wait to see him and give this boy a piece of my mind," Emily laughed, "but as you know, that's not things went down.

"I had been in La Push for a few weeks now and still had not seen Sam, but that changed when my aunt sent me out for groceries. I was on my way back up to the house when I noticed a tall, handsome man pacing in front of the door. When he looked down at me, I realized it was Sam. I opened my mouth to demand what he was doing here, when everything just disappeared.

"I felt the connection take root deep in my heart, body, and soul. I don't know how to describe it, but I suddenly realized that my life would no longer be complete without Sam by my side. I'm only guessing you experienced some of the same feelings."

Emily fell silent beside me, waiting for a reply to come, but I was too choked up to speak. I knew exactly the feeling she was describing, but I didn't think I was ready to admit that aloud. Because of my past, I found it hard to be open with people and trust them; the Cullens being an exception. Once I saw how open my family was with the Quileutes, I became more open myself, but around people I don't know, I was a closed box. Especially around men; my father scarred me for life.

"I want to help you figure your feelings out," Emily reached over and squeezed my balled fist.

I knew she wanted to help; they all wanted to help, especially the Quileutes. My family thought I was a wreck being away from Seth, so I could only imagine how Seth was without seeing me. Before I could control my feelings, I began sobbing. I pulled my knees into my chest, wrapping my arms around them as my body heaved with spasms. Emily pulled me close to her, murmuring reassurances, telling me that she was here to talk. All of this made me cry even harder.

For the past several years I had been by my stoic self, but now I was feeling emotions I had never felt before and had people who genuinely cared for me. It was all just too much for me. As I continued to cry, I decided I should at least try to talk to Emily.

"Is-is-is it normal," I cried, "to feel this pain al-al-all the time?"

Emily pulled me even closer, humming in my ear, "Oh sweetheart. I'm sorry to say, but yes, it is very normal. Your heart, soul, and body yearn for your imprint. Even though you don't know it yet, your heart realizes it cannot survive without its other half. Even to this day, I still feel pain when I am away from Sam, so yes, it is very normal."

More tears gushed from my eyes, "But… But I don't even know Seth! How can this happen? How can I already feel this strongly about him?"

"Sam tried to explain the same thing to me when we first imprinted," Emily said slowly, reliving the memory. "He said that it was my heart recognizing its other half, my body recognizing its mate, and my soul recognizing its home. My brain was saying one thing, but every other part of me was saying the opposite. That's most likely what you're experiencing now, the confusing stage, which is understandable. This will all pass once you get to know Seth. And he's great," Emily chuckled, "and I'm not just saying that because he's my baby cousin."

My shoulders continued to shake as I poured my heart out to Emily, "What about the fire? Earlier, when I bumped into Seth I felt like my skin was on fire, but it felt go-good. Really good." Emily chuckled lightly at that, but I continued, "an-and what if he doesn't even li-like me. Even though I don't know hi-him, I'm not sur-sure I can survive without hi-him."

Smiling, Emily rubbed my arm as she responded, "First, the fire you were talking about will always be there. It's your body and soul reacting to finding its mate, its perfect fit. To this day, I still get butterflies and the tingles when Sam holds or kisses me.

"And second, Seth will love you. You two just need to get to know each other. Talk with him, and you will come to know more feelings that come with the imprint. You will get to know him on a whole new level. He and you are soul mates, and soon you will come to realize that, I promise you, sweetie. Things will only get easier from here on out."

Emily sounded so sure and it made my heart swell, but I still couldn't bring myself to stop crying. Too many thoughts and emotions were circling around in my mind, causing my head to throb, which made me cry even harder. Through my breakdown, Emily continued to hold me, humming softly in my ear, that was, until it started raining. And when I say raining, I mean pouring buckets on top of our heads.

"Oh no," Emily laughed, quickly getting to her feet.

I scrambled up next to her, wrapping my arms around myself, trying to keep myself together for Emily's sake as we marched through the rain. After a few minutes, I heard the sky make a sickening crack and Emily gasp in surprise. I whipped around just in time to see lightening strike the tree above us, setting loose a large tree limb that was now hurtling towards Emily. Using my vampire speed, I wrapped my arms around Emily's waist and ran with her a few feet, making sure she was out of harms way. I was prepared to calm Emily down from the quick movements, but when I looked up to her, she was laughing hysterically.

Blinking away the rain and tears, I stared, flabbergasted, as Emily continued to laugh. I guess Emily dealt with traumatic experiences by laughing… Soon though, both Emily and I were laughing and crying, each holding onto one another for support.

"Thank you," Emily sniffled.

"It was no problem," I squeaked, my voice wavering.

Thankfully, after another five minutes of walking, the house came into view. Wiping the hot tears from my eyes, I noticed that Sam, Edward, Jacob, and Seth were standing in the rain, glancing around. Bella was holding Nessie out on the porch, under the protective cover of the roof, but also glancing around nervously. I should have known they would've been worried when Emily and I hadn't shown up right after the rain started.

"There they are," Edward yelled, spotting us first.

The four guys rushed over to us, looking extremely worried, though Seth and Sam looked the worst. I'm sure Emily and I looked like train wrecks shaking in our muddy clothes that now clung to our bodies, blood-shot eyes, and tears mixing with the rain as they made its way down each of our faces. Sam immediately raced to Emily, pulling her into his warm arms, making sure she was alright, and murmuring words of love. Emily clung to Sam like he was the last lifejacket on a sinking boat, and I couldn't stop my heart from yearning for Seth to hold me like that.

Edward and Jacob rushed to my side, glancing over my body for any injuries, though they would not find any externally. My only pain was coming from the lack of my mate, but still I didn't know if I was ready. I was scared of rejection, like I'd received from my parents, abandonment, like I'd received from Amelia, and disappointment, like I'd received during the years of searching for my brother. But, when I looked out and found Seth in pain with worry, I let go of all of those feelings and just went with my heart, ignoring my head.

I brushed past Edward and Jacob, a small sob tearing through my chest, and threw myself into Seth's arms. Seth was easily a foot taller than me, so I stretched on my tippy-toes, wrapped my arms around his neck, buried my face in the crook of his neck, and inhaled deeply. I could tell he was surprised by my sudden affection, but he soon returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me off the ground slightly.

In that moment, everything seemed to make sense in the world. Everything was perfect, brilliant even. I felt on fire with the love and passion racing through my veins, and I just let myself enjoy the moment.

I'm not sure how long Seth and I stood like that, holding onto each other for dear life, but I only knew that I didn't want it to end. After a few moments, I felt something press against the side of my head, near the top of my left ear. Not fully understanding what it was, I tried to process in my head what was going on, when it happened again, longer this time. I finally realized that Seth was kissing me.

It was easily the sweetest thing I had ever experienced.

Tears poured from my eyes, streaming down my cheeks and onto Seth's neck and I silently cursed myself for being such a sap. I felt his arms tighten around my waist, pulling me closer into his chest, and I clung more fiercely to his neck.

Even though neither of us spoke during our moment, I heard everything he wanted to say, and I'm pretty sure he heard me too. The silent connection of our moment was broken as I became aware of Bella calling my name, running out to me in the rain.

"Hayley, it's Alice," Bella was calling, "she said we need to get home now. They are having a hard time keeping your brother from coming here. I'm so sorry, but we have to go!"

Disentangling myself from Seth, I slid down to the ground, clinging to his waist, feeling my body going numb.

"Oh, God," I breathed, "he's going to be so angry with me."

I felt Seth tighten his hold on my shoulders, where his arm hung, holding me close to him. It was then that I realized I had to go, leaving him behind. I honestly didn't know how I was going to make it without him, especially after the special moment we just experienced. Even though we were still touching, I was craving more.

"I'm so sorry, Seth," I whispered brokenly, turning to him, "but my brother is going to flip a lid if I don't go home now."

"Shhh," he whispered, wiping my tears, "it's okay. I'll… call you?"

I felt Bella tug on my hand, pulling me away from Seth. Weakly I fought to stay with him, but I was no match for a stubborn Bella.

"Yes," I yelled back at him as we started running for the treaty line, "call me tonight!"

The familiar pain slammed into my chest as soon as Seth was out of focus, and I began to breathe heavily. Ahead of me, Edward and Nessie pressed on, running faster through the rain towards the house. I knew it probably pained her to run slower, but Bella stayed by my side, keeping speed with me. A few moments later though, I poured on the speed when I heard Bella answering Alice's urgent call.

I was in fear of my sanity because I was away from Seth, but at the current moment, I was too worried about the sanity of my brother to even think about Seth.

Well… not completely.


	7. Chapter 7

When the four of us entered the house, everything went silent, and all eyes turned to me. Alice and Esme were sending me apologetic glances from their seats on the couch. Carlisle and Emmett seemed to be waiting to hold Jasper back from an outburst, while Rosalie looked worried and angry. Jasper had frozen from his pacing and now turned to stare angrily in my direction.

"Jasper, we really can explain everything," Edward said, taking a step forward.

My brother didn't even seem to hear what Edward had said. Rubbing his temples, he glared at me and my mud stained dress.

"Have a seat, Hayley," Jasper whispered, and that was when I realized how angry he was. I knew my brother and the way he talked calmly right before he blew up.

I quickly made my way over to one of the couches, sitting between Esme and Alice. They both immediately wrapped their arms around me, hoping to protect me from the wrath of my angry brother. As Jasper began to pace again, Edward, Bella, and Nessie walked over to the living room, coming to stand behind the couch I was sitting at. Nessie scrambled onto the couch with Alice, Esme, and me though, holding onto her grandmother's arm.

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been for the last two hours," Jasper began in a flat tone. "Do you have any idea the danger you put yourself into today?"

"Jazz," I said, using his nickname, "there was absolutely nothing for you to worry about. I was perfectly safe. Plus, Edward and Bel-..."

"No," Jasper interrupted, "you weren't. You deliberately disobeyed me. Not only did you see Seth, put yourself in harm's way, but you also went into forbidden territory."

"Jasper," I tried to keep my irritation under control, "first, you never said I couldn't see Seth. Second, I was perfectly safe! And third, from what you all have told me, the treaty line is just for show now. Everyone just crosses at will. So stop making this a bigger deal than it really is."

"This is not the time to be smart with me," Jasper all but growled.

"I'm not being 'smart' with you," I growled back, "just stating facts."

"If that's the game you want to play," Jasper said menacingly, "then I prohibit you from ever seeing Seth."

Anger swelled in my body until it boiled over the top, sending me flying out of my seat. I heard my family gasp at my brother's demand, knowing it was beyond ridiculous.

"You can't do that!" I shrieked, "You can't just keep me away from him!"

"Watch me," Jasper said with an evil glint in his eyes.

"Jasper, you don't understand. I need to be with him," I began to grovel; searching for anything I could throw at him. Finally I found it, "What would you do if someone told you that you could never see Alice again."

A quick flash of pain appeared on his face, and then disappeared just as quickly.

"That's not fair," Jasper whispered harshly.

"Your right," I growled, "it's not fair."

"There is a significant difference between Alice and I compared to you and Seth," Jasper's voice was cold. "You don't even know him, so how could you possibly stand here and tell me you can't be without him."

"I bet I know him better than you do," I retorted, narrowing my eyes. Then, my mouth took on a mind of its own and began speaking again, "I know that he loves me and I love him."

Once again, everything in the house fell silent. My eyes widened at my sudden outburst, shocked at what I had just shared with the house. I blamed it on the heat of the moment, but a part of me knew I was just lying to myself- I knew what I had said was true, no matter how crazy it sounded. Even though it was the wrong thing to do, I felt my lips pull into a small smile. I loved how that sounded- Seth loved me and I loved him.

Jasper, on the other hand, looked murderous. In the next instant, he was standing over me, seething, and clutching my bare arms. Pain shot up and down my arms, but I controlled my face, not wanting to show Jasper the pain he was causing me.

"Don't you dare say that," he growled, "you don't know what you're talking about. From this moment on, you are not allowed to see Seth or set a foot on Quileute territory. Do I make myself clear?"

I blinked back my tears angrily and stared at my brother, feeling so much betrayal it stung.

"I hate you," I whispered more brokenly than I intended.

This seemed to snap Jasper out of his anger, sending him flying back from me. It seemed to dawn on him what had happened, and he looked horrified. I watched as Jasper glanced from me to Alice, and then tear out of the house. After a few seconds, I felt Alice squeeze my arm, apologizing with her touch and then race out of the house after my brother.

My hands came up to cover my face as I sank to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Esme was at my side in a second, pulling me onto her lap and rocking me back and forth.

"I didn't mean to say t-th-that," I cried into Esme's shoulder.

"Shh," Esme whispered. "I know, I know. We all say stuff we don't really mean when we are angry. It's okay, sweetheart."

"He looked s-s-so hurt," I sobbed. "I didn't want to hu-hurt him."

"He was just shocked," Esme murmured, "that's all. He was just shocked."

I continued to cry into Esme's shoulder, replaying my fight with Jasper over and over in my head. If Jasper came back tonight, I wasn't sure I could be in the same house as him, let alone the same room.

"Hayley," Edward was crouching down behind my shaking back, "why don't you sleep over at Bella and my cottage tonight. It would be no problem."

I pulled back from Esme to glance at Edward, "Are you su-sure?"

"Absolutely," he smiled.

"I remember when this movie was new," I whispered to Nessie, who giggled.

It was a little after ten that Nessie and I started watching her movie choice of an old Disney classic. We had taken showers, changed into pajamas, and were now lying together on the floor, staring up at the screen.

"Your silly, Aunt Hayley," Nessie giggled as I poked her playfully.

Somewhere behind us, Edward and Bella entered the small living room, turning on the lights. Playing around, Nessie and I hid under the blankets, trying to be invisible to her approaching parents.

"Hmm," Bella said, "I wonder where the two girls went… I could have sworn they were just here."

"Beats me," Edward replied, "but I guess if they aren't here, we can't give them ice cream."

This was enough to make Nessie surrender. She tore from the blankets, yanking me up with her, and began dancing around.

"Ice cream," Nessie squealed, "I want ice cream!"

The two of them smiled at their bouncing daughter, and then Edward swung her up into his arms, nuzzling her cheek with his nose.

"It's time for you to go to bed, little one," Edward spoke softly.

"But, daddy," Nessie whined, "I wanted to watch the movie with Aunt Hayley."

I laughed at her feeble attempt to stay up late, while I watched her eyes droop. She curled in her father's arms, clinging to his neck. Edward smiled down at me and I rose to give her a small peck on the cheek. Once the two of them left, Bella turned to me, holding her phone out to me with a smile.

"It's Seth," she whispered, "talk as long as you want."

Smiling, Bella walked back into her and Edward's room, allowing me to have some privacy, but I still felt like I needed more.

Walking out the back door, I entered the small garden Esme and Bella had been working on, and continued on to the small bench stationed in the middle of it all. I settled myself down so my back was against the cold concrete, my face was towards the starry night, and placed the phone against my ear.

"Hi," I breathed happily.

"Hayley," Seth sighed on the other end, "how are you?"

"Honestly," I chuckled weakly, "not too good. Jasper and I had a huge fight…I told him I hated him."

"I'm so sorry," Seth sounded worried, "where are you? Do you want me to come over there?"

"No," I panicked, "no! That wouldn't be good, especially if Jasper found out. I'm ok now- Bella and Edward are letting me stay at their cottage tonight."

"Are you sure?" Seth didn't sound so convinced.

"I'm positive."

"Then tell me what I can do to help," Seth said quietly. "You sound like you've been crying."

A small smile spread across my face. Seth was worried about me. I didn't care what Jasper thought- I didn't have to know Seth to know that I absolutely loved him.

"Just talk with me," I replied. "Just stay on the phone and talk with me."

"I can do that." I could practically hear the smile in his voice, "And I know what we can talk about: You. I want to know everything there is to know about you."

"You already know who I am," I laughed.

"I only know what the other guys have told me about you," Seth laughed back. "But I want know the real you… If you don't mind?"

Again, Seth made me smile, "Of course not. I just don't know where to begin… plus, it's not the best story."

"When is it ever," Seth chuckled. "And start from your childhood ending with where you are now."

Taking a deep breath, I started to tell Seth about myself, letting him see me in a way no one else ever had. I told him about growing up believing my parents hated me, the beatings I received, and how Jasper was there to save me, always.

While talking to Seth, I found myself opening up to him and not feeling the slight bit vulnerable. I felt safe sharing with him my secrets, my wishes, my hopes, and my fears. When I got to the part about Jasper leaving for the war, I started to cry quietly.

"Hayley," Seth whispered soothingly, "you don't have to tell me this if it's too hard for you. I hate hearing you cry."

"No, no," I replied stubbornly, "I want you to know who I am, and this is part of it."

I continued on with my story, telling him about my depression without Jasper, the more brutal beatings, and my parents' lack of life. I told him about having to sleep at my best friend's house, sharing meals with her family because mine would not provide for me. I also shared with him how at age fourteen, I found myself working for my neighbors, all so I could by my family and myself some bread. Even though I knew they despised me, I loved my parents and wanted them to love me.

Then the hard part came. I didn't want to tell Seth, or anyone, about my father molesting me when I was 15, but once I started talking, I felt like I couldn't stop. When the words flew from my mouth in a small sob, Seth began to growl viciously.

"That will never happen again," Seth seethed, "I promise."

Tears streamed out of the corner of my eye, falling onto my still damp hair. In that moment, there was nothing more that I wanted to do than to be held in Seth's strong arms.

_Jasper just doesn't get it_, I told myself. _The imprint doesn't only affect the imprinter, but also the imprinted. Deep down, I knew that I loved Seth and he was it for me, there would be no more searching._

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I continued on, telling Seth about the last couple weeks of my human life. One of the things Seth actually found interesting was my dream of being an elementary school teacher, though I knew that would never happen. He insisted that it could be possible, but I passed it off with an eye roll, finally going onto a much harder subject: Amelia.

I told him everything that I allowed myself to come to terms with. Deep down, I knew I hadn't shared with him everything I knew, nor had I ever shared that with anyone, not even myself. I was too terrified to dredge up everything Amelia had said to me- it was all too confusing. But, through it all, Seth listened attentively to everything I shared with him: my first day in my new life, the places I'd been, the people I met, and the deep confusion and depression that accompanied me while I searched. I shared with him the guilt I felt for my parent's death, the relief of being free of them, and the sadness of being alone.

"I thought a lot when I was running," I laughed quietly. "Anything you can think of, I probably thought about when I was out there by myself. But, eventually, I finally found my brother, and I couldn't have been happier. And that's where I am today."

"That's incredible," Seth said after a moment of silence. "You're just so incredible."

"Humph," I snorted, "I guess you could say that, but I wouldn't use incredible. More like crazy."

"No," Seth shot back, "not crazy, but passionate. Determined. Strong. Most people, vampires or not, would never do what you have done. So, according to me, you are incredible."

Before I could cry or beg Seth to come over here, I changed the subject, "Now that I've shared everything with you, it's your turn to be on the hot seat. I want to know who _you_ are, because I know absolutely nothing. Except that my family adores you… well most of them."

Seth's laughter filled my head and I smiled, "Well, my life was really not that exciting before I joined the pack. I've always lived on the Rez with my sister and parents…"

He told me everything he could about his childhood. Leah was the perfect child growing up, he told me, and he was just the goof of the family, never taking anything seriously. His mom would call him the humor of the family, the release from the craziness of reality.

When Seth talked about his father, I could hear the difference in his voice. He thought everything of his father and absolutely adored him. Anything Harry said was golden and anything he did was pure magic. He was one of the tribal elders of the Quileute people, and was absolutely faithful to his people, completely believing in the magic the past tribes. When his dad passed away, Seth told me he was devastated and completely lost.

"Leah was already a wreck because Sam had found Emily," Seth told me, "so when dad died, she wouldn't even come out of her room. My mom lost her husband, and I had lost the closest person I had. We were all just a wreck."

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, heartbroken.

"Don't be sorry," Seth's voice had turned soft speaking of his father's death. "It made me a stronger person and I know he's in a better place."

Seth continued by telling me about his transformation. He said it didn't happen long after his father had passed away.

"My mother and I were having an argument," Seth said bleakly, "when I started sweating. I had never felt that hot in my entire life, so I ran outside, into the cold air. My mom yelled at me, and that's when I lost it.

"She started screaming and freaking out. I knew that she had heard the stories and knew about the existence of the wolves, but I don't think she fully believed they were real. I don't think I even believed they were real, but, either way, there I was: the newest addition to the wolf pack."

He told me about the pain he felt when the transformation took place, how it still hurts to this day. I became even more grateful towards Sam and Emily as Seth told me they took him in and taught him everything he needed to know.

"Everyone was always close on the Rez," Seth laughed, "because there weren't many people, but once I changed I was thrown into the wolf pack family. We were all brothers, but soon we were joined by a sister. Leah changed for the first time a few weeks after me, but we still don't know what set her off. I think it was a combination of everything that was happening around her that she just snapped."

"It must have been hard on her," I murmured. "I mean, seeing the love of your life with your best friend, your father passing, and then you being turned into a wolf. I don't blame her for snapping."

"Sure," Seth sounded sarcastic, "I guess you could look at it that way."

I didn't want to press anymore into the subject of his sister, especially when he seemed to not be the biggest fan of her at the current moment. I probably should have felt the same way, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I only felt sorry for her and her situation.

"So there it is," Seth yawned, "you now know everything about me."

I laughed to myself, glancing at the phone to see what time it was, suppressing a yawn myself. The only indication of the time I had was the stars above me and the moon's location.

_Four in the morning_, I thought with surprise. _We've been talking for over six hours!_

"Seth! It's four in the morning," I laughed, "isn't your mom going to be mad you're up this late?"

This made Seth fall silent for a moment. "I'm actually at Sam and Emily's. My…mom and sister kicked me out of the house."

"What?" My mind went blank and I shot up from where I was laying on the bench.

The other end of the phone was silent and I knew he was giving me a moment to sort through my thoughts. It took me a few seconds longer than necessary, but finally all of the pieces came together.

"This is about me, isn't it," I whispered, "the imprint. God, I'm so sorry, Seth."

"Don't be sorry," Seth was soothing _me_, "I wouldn't have it any other way… My sister and mom just need to think things through."

"I…I just feel so horrible," I whispered, closing my eyes.

"Well, don't," he chuckled lightly, "there's nothing for you to feel bad about. Now, stop thinking about it."

"Whatever you say," I murmured bleakly.

"Hayley," Seth pleaded, "stop. Now, tell me you don't have any plans later today…"

My eyes shot open and I smiled. _Was he going to ask me out?_

"Not that I know of," I chuckled, "why?"

"I was just wondering if you'd like to… go and see a movie with me over in Port Angeles?"

"I'd love too." My small smile stretched into a full-blown grin.

"Great," Seth breathed, "I'll pick you up around six?"

"Sounds like a date," I giggled, understanding the choice of my words. I mentally smacked myself. "Now get some sleep, Mr. Clearwater. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Goodbye, Hayley," Seth yawned, "I'll see you soon."

"Bye," I whispered into the phone after Seth had hung up. Slipping backward, I leaned back down against the cold concrete of bench, holding the phone close to my heart. Smiling like a dork, I turned to look up at the last remaining stars in the sky, all the while, thinking of Seth and our upcoming date.

**I just wanted to take this time to thank everyone who is still reading this story and to all those reviewing the story! **

**These past couple chapters have all mostly been character development and introducing the bonds formed. In chapter 9 things will start to get interesting as I introduce a new character **

**Again, thank you to all those who are still reading this! I promise to continue and your reviews just make my day! **

**P.S. Sorry for this being a long chapter **


	8. Chapter 8

"How's he doing," I whispered to Alice.

After Seth and my all-night conversation, I had fallen asleep on Bella and Edward's couch, only to be awoken by a screaming Alice a few hours later. She had pulled the warm blanket away, wrenched my body off the couch, exclaiming, "I'm not exactly sure why yet, but when I'm through with you babe, you're going to look hot!"

Now Rose, Bella, and Alice were doing damage-control; showering me, straightening my hair, and applying makeup. Esme and Nessie were in my room, finding the outfit Alice had described to them. The girls of the house were all scampering around, getting me ready for my date, while the boys of the house waited downstairs, reading and playing video games.

When I had come into the house with Alice in the early afternoon, my brother hadn't even glanced at me, busying himself with the game in front of him. Rosalie had told me not to bother with him, but I felt a pang in my chest- he was still mad at me.

"Not to good, sweets," Alice responded, staring intently at my hair. "He was really upset with himself last night. It took a lot to calm him down."

"I figured that," I sighed. "Is there anything else? Did he say anything? Do anything?"

"Well," Alice winked at me in the mirror. "We had really good sex last night."

"Ewww," I shrieked, covering my ears to my sisters' laughter. "I don't want to hear this! He's my brother!"

"What?" Rosalie laughed, "You want to hear about Emmett and my sex life? Bella and Edward's?

"No!" I squirmed in my chair, "I don't want to picture my siblings doing to the nasty-nasty."

Alice and Bella continued to pick at my hair, making it perfect, as they chuckled. Rosalie walked about the chair to face me, blocking my view of the mirror.

"The nasty-nasty?" She smirked, "so I guess that means you never had sex before?"

Somewhere in the house I heard multiple groans and complaints about my age, which made me blush, but I shook my head at Rosalie.

"That's one of the only things I'm actually grateful for towards my father," I whispered honestly. "He never took _that_ away from me."

This made everyone freeze and turn their eyes to me. Rosalie looked absolutely heartbroken and I could almost picture identical expressions on Bella and Alice's features. The silence seemed to close the air around me, so I tried to casually clear my throat.

"Plus," I tried to smile, "that's something I only want to do with one person, the same person for the rest of my life."

Everyone seemed to thaw around me, finally able to break their stare. Rosalie smiled weakly, patted my hand, and went back to working on my makeup. Bella and Alice went back to working, straightening and styling me shoulder-length hair.

"Seth," Alice smiled. "What you said before- you were talking about Seth, weren't you?"

A deep blush covered my cheeks as I stared into the mirror, avoiding my three sisters' staring eyes. Somewhere downstairs I heard a deep, low growl, and I knew it had to be Jasper.

"I-I guess so," I choked out.

Bella leaned closer to my ear, whispering, "I think it's wonderful."

I sent her a small smile through the mirror, noticing my other two sisters' differing expressions. Alice was smiling brightly, running her fingers through my pin-straight hair, time and time again. Rosalie, on the other hand, looked slightly disgusted at the mention of Seth. I knew, from previous stories, that Rosalie was more fond of Seth compared to the other wolves, but she still found them revolting.

"I think we found it, Alice," Esme called a few minutes later from somewhere in my room.

"Great," Alice looked delighted, "we are finished here too."

"I didn't add much," Rosalie murmured to me. "It's not like you really needed any make-up."

She stepped away, allowing me to see my sisters' finished work. My hair was a straight curtain of sandy-blonde, falling just to my shoulder. Rosalie was right about the little make-up, but I did notice the small amount of mascara, dark blue eye shadow, and the touch of lip-gloss.

"You three," I smiled, turning to my sisters, "are amazing."

Alice grabbed my hand, tugging me out of my seat, "Don't comment on our skills quiet yet, babe. You still need to get dressed." As we walked into my room, she stopped me, "You know the drill- eyes closed."

Before closing my eyes and letting my family get me ready, I made sure Alice saw me roll my eyes. I was pretty sure my attempt was successful, because I heard her snort disapprovingly, only making me smile in content. Seconds later, she was turning me to face the mirror, as she had done many times before. Being the new one in the house designated me as Alice's personal Barbie doll, no matter how many times I had opposed; with Alice it's just something you must accept.

I shot my eyes open, eager to see what "hot" outfit Alice had designed for my date with Seth. The first thing I noticed was that my legs were not showing, which was a different approach for me, seeing as Alice absolutely loved skirts and dresses on me. Instead, I was sporting a dark pair of skinny jeans, accompanied by a white pair of slip-ons covering my feet. On top, I was wearing a slightly large white tank top, overlapped with a dark gray tank top, both with large straps. Of course, Alice had to accessorize, so I was wearing a long, chained, silver necklace, which reached down to the middle of my stomach. I absolutely loved it.

Turning around, I engulfed each of my sisters, adoptive mother, and niece in a hug, "I lied. You all are _brilliant_!"

"That's more like it," Alice laughed, pulling back from her hug, and turning towards my door just as I heard a knock.

Everyone turned to look at me, waiting to see my reaction as my door slowly slid open to reveal Jasper. I knew this was coming- Jasper coming to talk to me- but I still found myself nervous. I really didn't like fighting with my brother; during our childhood we would have small quarrels, but last night was by far the worst fight we've ever had.

Jasper cleared his throat and took a step into my room, "I was wondering if I could have a moment with Hayley."

Rosalie and Bella glanced at each other, not sure what to do, but were soon dismissed as Esme herded them out of the room. Alice squeezed my arm, grabbed Nessie, and walked out of my room, but not before gently touching her mate's shoulder. I was suddenly nervous being alone with Jasper in my room. Part of me told me to be rational, seeing as everyone in the house would be listening and watching out for me, but the other part told me that Jasper had hurt me yesterday.

"Hayley," Jasper began, but I cut him off, holding up my hand. I didn't think I could do this right now.

I walked stiffly to my bed, sitting on the edge, and I was soon joined by Jasper, who tried to take my hand, but I pulled away. Instantly I felt regret, noticing the change in my brothers physical behavior; he moved away with a flinch, like I'd slapped him. Taking a small breath, I let my hand slid to his, holding it like I did when I was younger.

"Please don't be nervous around me," he whispered, "I want to apologize and explain for my behavior last night."

I didn't feel like he needed a response, so I only nodded.

"I know my reaction last night was uncalled for," Jasper whispered, holding my hand with both of his, "and I cannot express how sorry I am. It's just… I love you so much and I feel like I'm losing you when I just got you back. When Seth imprinted, I felt like I lost you again. You don't need me anymore- all you need is him. I've seen how imprints work, I'm actually fascinated by it, and I've seen how the two imprints become totally dependent on each other, no one else.

"I've also seen the dangers of being around a werewolf, especially young ones. You've seen Emily- what if something like that happened to you? And Leah- what if she ever did anything to you? I just don't know what I would do if you got hurt, Hayley. I just got you back, after all these years, and now I'm watching you slip from my fingertips."

By the time Jasper fell silent, my face was wet with my tears, and my first thought was how mad Rose and Alice were going to be once they noticed my messed up makeup. This all flew away though when I peeked up at my brother and noticed his pained expression.

"Oh Jazz," I whispered brokenly, throwing my arms around his neck.

We held onto each other for several minutes, both of us not saying a word as we communicated in our silence. Jasper knew that he was forgiven and I knew that he was not even upset with me for anything dealing with the night before. After I finally controlled myself and stopped the tears, I found I could speak.

"Jasper," I murmured into his ear, "I need you to trust me. You're never going to lose me, as long as you trust me to make my own decisions. Seth is going to be in my life from now on, and I need you to accept that and support me. I can't do this without your support, Jazz, so please, just trust me."

"Alright," Jasper pulled back and wiped the tears away from my eyes, "I can do that. I won't try to make decisions for you. I'll just be your pain in the ass brother from now on."

A wet chuckle escaped my lips as Jasper and I hugged one more time. Deep down, I knew it still pained him to see me with Seth, and I knew he would never fully be ok with it, but at least he was trying. That was all I was asking for, him to try.

"Hayley, dear," Esme called from down below, followed by a knock on the door.

I couldn't stop the grin that flashed across my face when I pulled back to look at Jasper. He grimaced slightly, but it soon changed into a smirk as he shot out of my room, down to where Seth and the rest of my family waited for me. Rolling my eyes, I quickly walked out of my room and to the stairs, but was stopped by the sound of a conversation being taken place downstairs. I silently walked to the railing and glanced downstairs to find Seth at the entrance, surrounded by my three brothers. Emmett, Edward, and Jasper were each staring Seth down with mock disgust, arms folded threateningly over their chests.

"Now," Jasper said seriously, "if you hurt her, you will be walking on three legs. Got it?"

"Two legs," Emmett chimed in hauntingly.

"One leg," Edward practically growled.

Over in the living room, the rest of my family was watching with amusement, besides Rosalie. She was reading some fashion magazine, but at this moment she glanced up and glared at Seth.

"Make that no legs," she purred, smirking.

Before anyone else could embarrass me anymore, I ran down the stairs, "Guys! Stop it! Don't scare him."

The three boys turned around, wearing identical innocent expressions, clearly finding amusement in my embarrassment. I gave them my best "you all suck" expression, but I'm not sure it worked on them.

Feeling his stare, I glanced to Seth and felt my heart kick into high gear, sending Emmett and Edward into chuckles. I felt his eyes take in my outfit, from head to toe, and then find home to my eyes, where we stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Even though he didn't say anything, I felt beautiful in that moment.

"Oh Squirt," Emmett whined, pulling me out of my moment with Seth. "We weren't scaring him- it was more like a warning." With that, he pulled me into a tight hug, picking me off the ground and spinning me around.

"Emmett," I wheezed, "can't… breathe…"

Laughing, he set me down and I instantly felt the heat. I hesitantly looked to my side and noticed Emmett had set me down next to Seth.

"Hi," I whispered, smiling shyly.

"You look great," he smiled back.

"Alright," Jasper cleared his throat, "she needs to be back by eleven. That gives you plenty of time to watch a movie and eat."

Grudgingly, I pulled my eyes away from Seth, sighing at my brother. I knew this was getting on his nerves, but he would have to learn to deal with it. Seth was going to be in my life.

Somewhere to my right, Edward chuckled, and I quickly stuck my tongue out at him, to which he returned.

"Got it, Jazz," I sighed, quickly kissing him on the cheek. "I'll see you all later!" I called to the rest of my family.

I heard several goodbyes sound behind me as Seth and I exited through the front door, anxious to be away from my family. We quickly walked to his car, got in, and peeled out of the driveway, hitting the main road headed to Port Angeles.

For the first couple minutes, both of us were silent, but, strangely, it was not awkward, but rather, very comfortable. As soon as we exited Forks though, and I was sure none of my family or Edward could hear us, Seth reached over and grabbed my hand, twining our fingers together. I felt my cheeks flame as I stared at our differing color, his honey tan pressed against my creamy pale.

"I'm sorry about earlier," I chuckled. "Edward, Jazz, and Emmett can be a pain."

Seth laughed, "Its fine. I found it quite amusing. Actually, before I left to get you, my brothers gave me a similar speech- all of them. Now, that was threatening."

We both laughed and I noticed how well they went together- his deep chortling mixing with my high giggles. Smiling, I glanced again down at our conjoined hands, gently rubbing my thumb against his.

"You and Jasper seemed to be on better terms," Seth said quietly. "Did you two get to talk some more? I was worried about you all day."

Smiling, I replied, "Yes, we did. He apologized and told me he would try to be a better sport about all of this. I need his support with this, and I think I gained that today."

"That's good," Seth smiled, squeezing my hand.

We fell silent again as I stared out the window, watching the trees flash by on either side of us. If I concentrated enough everything would come into focus and I could see into the woods. The wildlife was scuttling around, allowing me to see rabbits, birds, mice, and deer. A dull burn scratched at the back of my throat, telling me that I hadn't hunted in a while- probably weeks. Human food can last me a while, but I still had to hunt every once in a while.

In my first few years searching for my brother, I would actually go years without hunting, which made me incredibly weak. I survived on human food, but it got to a point where I couldn't even move. Randomly, a thought came to my head, and I blurted out my question.

"Does it bother you that I'm really old?"

Seth surprised me by laughing loudly. I turned to him and stared, not really getting what was so funny. He glanced at me and began to chuckle some more.

"Hayley," he laughed, "we're the same age."

"No," I shot back, "we are not. I may look sixteen, but you and I both know that's not necessarily true. I could be your great-great-great grandmother!"

Seth looked over at me and seemed to abstinently bring our conjoined hands up to his lips, kissing my hand softly. I watched, dazed, and instantly felt more relaxed, though my heart was beating in over-drive.

"Hayley," he said soothingly, "it doesn't matter how old you. I mean, I've been sixteen for a few years myself!"

"Yeah, but," I started to retort, but Seth cut me off.

"I mean," he began, "look at Bella and Edward. He was over a hundred years old when he finally met Bella, and I've never seen a happier couple. Obviously fate brought them together… just as it brought you to me."

Seth fell silent with a light blush covering his cheeks, which I found adorable. Smiling, I reached over with my free hand to touch his burning cheek cautiously. He leaned into my touch automatically, sighing happily.

"Is this supposed to happen so fast," I whispered to Seth, pulling my hand back slowly.

"It's hard for it not too," he replied, fully understanding my question. "Our souls have found its mate, and it's hard to fight what your heart and soul are feeling."

Not really knowing what to say, I leaned back in the seat, resting my head to the side so I could watch Seth. Abstinently I stroked his hand with my thumb, watching him as he drove. Periodically, he would glance at me, smiling sweetly, and squeezing my hand.

In the silence, I let the small sounds around me be heard. Outside, I could hear the tire making contact with small rocks, deer lazily eating leaves, and mice scuttling across the rough earth.

The rest of ride was consumed with small talk- each of us gathering small facts about the other. We finally arrived in Port Angeles around seven, just in time to eat a quick dinner at a small Italian restaurant. Together, we split a large pizza, with Seth eating most of it due to his large appetite.

Once we were done eating, we walked, hand in hand, to the movie theater. The entire evening had been going great until we were waiting in line at the concession stand, grabbing some candy for the movie. Seth and I were standing close together, his arm wrapped securely around my waist when I heard the disgusting thoughts of the three young men behind us.

_Do you see the ass on her_?

_Damn, what's a small bitch like her doing with that large bastard? _

_ We could have some fun with this one. Look at her; she couldn't even put up a fight._

Repulsed, I pressed myself closer to Seth, hugging him around the waist tightly. He glanced down, looking slightly curious as we moved a little closer to the extremely busy register. Hoping to not piss him off or freak him out, I nudged my thoughts to Seth.

_Those creeps behind us are thinking about me_, I told him. _It was just freaking me out._ _Don't worry about it though._

For a moment Seth looked confused, but then understanding settled in, quickly followed by anger. I felt a low growl rumble in his chest, near my ear, as he looked back at the three boys staring hungrily at me. Smiling, I nuzzled my face in his chest, holding him tighter.

"Don't worry," I whispered for only him to hear. "They're just jealous you got such a hot date."

He leaned down, growling lightly in my ear, "Damn right."

Giggling, I kissed his chest lightly and pulled myself tighter to him, feeling his arm wrap more securely around my waist. After a few more minutes of waiting, it was finally our turn to be serviced. Seth pulled his arm from my waist, exchanging it to hold my hand instead as he ordered our favorite candies and a drink to split. Amused, I watched as the frantic employees hustled behind the counter, trying to get everyone's order without running into anyone.

Seconds later, I felt someone goose me from behind, causing me to jump and gasp in shock. My head whipped around to see one of the disgusting men puckering his lips at me with a wink. The other two were wiggling their eyebrows suggestively, making my stomach clench uncomfortably. Grimacing, I turned back to Seth, who was collecting our candy and drink, but not before one of the boys spoke.

"You're mine, bitch," he purred seductively.

Seth's head whipped to stare at the three boys, deep growls emanating from his chest. Behind me I heard the boys snicker, but take a casual step back. The whole scene was grabbing the other customer's attention, which was never a good thing. Placing my hand on Seth's chest, I gave a gently push, which didn't even make him budge.

"They're not even worth it," I said loudly enough for them to hear. "Let's go."

Seth met my stare, noticed my panicked expression, and nodded curtly. With one last glance at the three boys, Seth wrapped his arm around my waist, balancing the drink and candies in his arm as we walked away, towards our theater. With the three boys nervously snickering behind us, Seth and I continued our date.

"I want to show you something," Seth told me after we exited the theater. "It will only take a few minutes."

Laughing, I let Seth lead me as we slowly ran away from the exiting crowd of people and towards a more quiet part of the city. After a few minutes of our running, I heard the unmistakable sound of waves splashing against the low surf and could smell the salty air that accompanied the sounds. Seconds later, Seth was towing me out onto the sand, several feet away from the towering pier, which was a few feet above our heads.

Seth pulled us to a stop, allowing me to take in our surroundings more properly. The water looked black from the darkness of the sky and area around us, except for the patch lit by the large moon high over our heads. There seemed to be a million stars shining brightly above us as the clouds made a small clearing, allowing us a perfect view of the sky.

"This is beautiful," I whispered, completely mesmerized.

"I know," Seth said quietly, pulling me into his arms.

Wrapping our arms around each other, I laid my head on his chest, staring out at the moving ocean. Next to me, Seth began rocking back and forth, swaying us to a silent music. I closed my eyes, completely enjoying the moment Seth and I were sharing.

What seemed like hours later, I felt drops of water land on my skin. Leaning against his chest and glancing up, I met Seth's stare as the rain began to fall a little harder, making my hair and clothes stick to me, but in that moment I didn't care, because Seth was leaning down closer to me.

As his lips made contact with mine, my eyes closed and my arms rose to twine around his neck, holding him closer to me. Everything seemed to burst into flames as his arms tightened around my waist, lifting me off the ground and deepening the kiss. My hands slipped into his hair, grabbing a fistful as my lips parted, a sigh escaping.

In that moment, I felt all of the love Seth felt for me, and I returned it all with that one kiss. Love for love. Passion for passion. All wrapped up in a single, beautiful, first kiss.


	9. Chapter 9

The weeks following Seth and my first date couldn't have been more perfect and special. Seth and I became completely inseparable, spending every waking moment together, except when he was on patrol down at the Rez, which wasn't very often thanks to Jacob. We went on a few more dates, but usually just stayed around the Cullens; taking walks in the surrounding woods, hanging out with my family, cooking with Esme and Edward, playing video games with Emmett, and babysitting Nessie.

During these weeks, Seth and I got to know each other in a way that was indefinable, but amazing nonetheless. We got to a point in our relationship that just by a look, we would know what the other was thinking. And, even though we both knew it, we still hadn't said the three words yet.

During this time, I didn't just get closer to Seth, but also my entire, larger family- the Cullens and the wolf pack. I created special bonds with each and every person, getting to know everyone extremely well. Obviously, I was really close with my immediate family, but I also found myself drawn to the wolf pack. Over the weeks, even though I was close to everyone, I found myself extremely close to Emily, Paul, Quil, and Jacob. I learned to absolutely love being Esme and Carlisle's little girl and everyone else's little sister.

Alice and Rosalie also found time to completely indulge me in multiple shopping sprees, all of which I returned with a trunk full of clothes. Esme decorated my room perfectly, completely matching it to my personality and tastes. I was given my own phone and officially became a Cullen by receiving my own necklace of the Cullen crest, matching the rest of my family.

Carlisle enrolled me in the high school the next town over, which I would be starting soon with the rest of my siblings as a junior. They informed me that it hadn't been an adequate amount of years yet that we could all attend the high school without my siblings being recognized from previous enrollment years ago in the city we lived in now. My family also, during this time, took me on my first hunting trip, which was amazing and very much needed.

Though the three months of summer I spent with everyone was beyond amazing and perfect, there was still a part of me that was unsettled. Not only was anything being changed between Leah and I, but I was also starting to have weird dreams about Amelia during my sleep.

"Hayley, sweetie, Seth is downstairs," Rose sang, walking into my room. "…And you're still in bed…Why?"

The only reply I could muster was a pained groan, as I pulled my knees closer to my stomach, hoping to stop the horrible feeling. In the next second, Rosalie was at my side, feeling my forehead and stroking my sweaty cheeks.

"What's wrong, honey," she whispered, looking concerned.

Everyone, beside Emmett and Rose, were on a hunting trip near Canada for the weekend. I always loved it when it was just Emmett and Rose in the house because they would usually let Seth sleep over, always downstairs on the couch while I was up in my room, but we hadn't gotten caught yet. Edward, Bella, and Alice knew of course, but they hadn't shared their knowledge with Jasper, so it was still our little secret.

"It's… just…cramps," I ground out, squeezing my arms around my lower stomach.

Rosalie looked confused for a second, and then recognition dawned on her, "You PMS?"

"Yes," I wheezed, "but it's different than a normal period. Mine is… much worse."

"Oh! Is there anything I can do," she asked quickly, taking in my fetal position and pained expression.

"Can you just get me a glass of water?"

"Sure thing, Hun," Rose smiled, walking to my door. "And what do you want me to tell Seth?"

"Just tell him I'm sick," I moaned, burying my face in my pillow. The only lucky thing about my period was that it usually lasted only two to three days, but the pain was unbearable.

After a few minutes of waiting, I heard my door creak open, and I turned, expecting to see Rose, but found Seth standing there instead. Not having the strength to tell him to leave, I turned back to my pillow, a groan escaping my lips as another cramp tore through my lower stomach and pelvis.

Seconds later, I felt Seth lying beside me, pulling me close to him. Even though I really didn't want him to be here for this, I crumbled under his touch, turning and curling myself around him. As he wrapped his arms around my waist, I wrapped mine around his, laying my head on his chest with my knees stuck between his left hip and my stomach.

"Rose said you were sick," Seth murmured into my hair. "She sent me up to make you feel better."

I laughed weakly as another cramp squeezed my stomach, causing me to grab a fistful of Seth's t-shirt. He pulled me close to him, kissing my head softly.

"I'm sure you could find something better to do on a Saturday," I said quietly, "rather than lying with you PMSing girlfriend."

I felt Seth smile against my forehead, "Nope. I'd rather stay in bed with my PMSing girlfriend."

"I'm guessing there's nothing to do down at the Rez," I laughed meekly.

"Not a damn thing," Seth joked back, holding me close.

Sighing, I relaxed in his warm embrace, feeling slightly better with Seth near me. As a test, I slowly lowered my knees from my upper body, pressing my clenching stomach and pelvis against Seth's burning hip. Instantly, the pain began to dull to a more durable ache, and I sighed in relief, twining our legs together. I looked up at Seth with a sweet smile, giving him a quick peck under his chin.

"This is helping," I murmured. "Just don't move."

I felt his chest move underneath me with silent chuckles as he relaxed against my headboard, reaching with his free arm for the remote on my bedside table. After a few minutes of searching, he settled on one of my favorite movies: The Notebook. For the next two hours, we lay in each other's arms, enjoying the movie and each other's company. We ate lunch made by Emmett, which was, surprisingly, very good, and Seth wiped away my tears as I cried at the appropriate moments. Overall, it was a very relaxing afternoon.

Once the movie was over, we decided to just lay and listen to music, quietly humming to one another. Hoping to not fall asleep during Seth's visit, I started a conversation.

"School's starting soon," I moved my head so I could see him.

He nodded, "Three weeks," leaning down to kiss my forehead.

"We're all going to Clallam Bay," I told him, "since it hasn't been long enough to go to Forks. It's only about a ten minute commute with my siblings driving." I chuckled at the end.

"So I've heard," he mused, not meeting my stare.

"What about you guys down on the Rez?" Hope flared in my heart. I desperately wanted Seth to go to school with me. I could barely handle being without him for the few hours during the night, let alone entire days. "Where are you all going?"

"Well, Paul, Jared, and Leah are all in college now," Seth stared off at the wall across my room, seeming to find something interesting in it. "Brady and Collin are finishing up high school, which leaves Embry, Quil, Jake, and I. We don't really know if we're going to go back to school, since we already finished it a few years ago, and we don't really feel like leaving to go to college."

I was quiet for a few minutes, trying to process what he was telling me. Even if the four boys were to take high school over again, they would stay on the Quileute Reservation, which I was sure of, but I still tried anyway.

"So," I said slowly, "that means you're not going to school with us…with me?"

His chest rose under me as he took a deep breath, pulling me even tighter against him. Uncontrollably, I felt tears prick at the corner of my eyes, slowly spilling onto Seth's shirt, making a small wet spot.

"Aw, hell," Seth breathed, "I didn't mean to make you cry. We wanted to keep this a secret and surprise you, but, since you're already so upset about it… I'll tell you now. Embry, Quil, Jake, and I are all going to school with you and the Cullens. Carlisle and Sam had it arranged a couple days ago."

"Really," I breathed and he smiled down at me, nodding.

Excited, I pulled myself up so I could kiss Seth, pressing my cold lips against his warm ones. He gladly returned the gesture, cupping my cheeks his hands, while mine traveled up from his waist, across his chest, and into his growing hair.

Toying with him, I parted my lips slightly and let my tongue escape, lightly trailing across his lower lip. I heard a low moan leave him as he playfully grabbed my lower lip with his teeth, gently nipping, which sent my heart flying.

"So much for keeping the secret, Seth," Emmett boomed from downstairs, interrupting our moment.

He smiled against my lips, gently kissing me one last time, and then pulling back, relaxing with me pressed tightly against his side. Sighing, I relaxed against him, nuzzling my face against his chest and closing my eyes.

"Sorry, Em," Seth called back, "but you trying staying strong against her puppy-dog face. It could make any man crumble."

Downstairs, Emmett and Rosalie chuckled at Seth's comment, while we just smiled and held each other. We spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening together, sharing stories with Rose and Emmett after they came in to join us.

Everything was just perfect, that was, until Seth left for patrol, Rose and Emmett went grocery shopping, and I went to bed, falling into the most haunting dream.

_I was in my old house, the one I grew up in, watching my mother as she sat in the small kitchen, staring out the window. She looked so frail and tired, wearing a faded pink dress, covered in printed flowers, with her hair pulled back in a tight bun. I had tried to talk to her, to grab her attention, but after many failed attempts, I came to the conclusion that she could not hear me. _

_Once I got enough of watching my mother stare aimlessly out the window, I walked to the living room, assuming that my father was sitting in his favorite chair, warm drink in hand. Of course, I was correct, knowing my father so well. He looked very rugged with his unshaven scruff, dirty button-down shirt, and blue trousers, but very much like the man I learned to fear. _

_Behind me, I heard a loud knock at the door, and I watched my father, waiting for him to get up and answer the door. After several seconds of silence, another knock sounded at the door._

"_Hayley," my father called. "Get the damn door!"_

_My eyes widened with fear as I turned around to see _me_ walk down the stairs, looking very small and fragile in a lacy blue dress. Slowly, I followed my younger self as I walked to the door, cautiously pulling it open to reveal three inhumanly beautiful people: two male, one female. _

_Recognition dawned on me as I realized the day that I had stumbled upon in my dream world. This was the day my parents were killed, my house was burned to ashes, and I was changed forever. _

_Flabbergasted, I watched from an invisible eye as Amelia escorted me out, letting the two men who accompanied her loose. The smaller of the two waltzed to the living room with an evil smile, obviously searching out my father, while the larger man moved towards the kitchen. Drawn to him, I followed in his footsteps, entering the kitchen in time to see my mother's shocked expression as she took in the man before her. _

"_Who are you," my mother's tiny voice wavered. "What do you want?"_

"_That doesn't matter now," the man purred. "Everything will be over shortly. I promise."_

_I moved slightly, allowing myself to watch my mother more fully, though I didn't think I was ready to watch this man kill her. Suddenly, a deep scream tore through the house, causing my mother and me to jump. A chilling fear crept up my spine as I listened to my father slowly leave this earth._

"_What are you going to do to me?"_

_The man laughed, leaning down to stroke her cheek, "I'm going to kill you."_

_Even though I knew this was coming, a tiny sob escaped my lips, which I tried to muffle with my hands, though no one could hear me. I didn't want to watch this, I didn't want to see my mother get killed, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene unfolding before me, especially when my mother surprised me by shooting out of her seat._

_When the sounds from the living room ceased and I was sure my father was gone, my mother sprang to her feet, staring up at the towering man in front of her with a determination I had never seen before in her. _

"_You can do whatever you have to do to me," my mother said in a harsh voice, "but do not lay a hand on my baby girl, do you hear me? You can kill me, but you will not hurt my daughter."_

_As tears ran down my cheeks, the man smiled and walked towards my mother, taking her small body in his rough arms, quickly sucking the life from her, all while I watched. But, during this time, I found I wasn't alone. When I glanced to my side, unable to watch anymore, I was surprised to find Amelia standing there, watching me with curious eyes. She smiled kindly when she caught my eyes, leaning forward to whisper in my ear, sending chills down my back as she spoke._

"_You don't need them, my dear; I've made sure of that. All you've got is me." _

I sprang up in my bed, breathing hard, tangled in my blankets, and drenched in sweat. Looking around frantically, I was relieved to notice I was back in my room and Rose and Emmett were still gone. Before I could talk myself out of it, I shot to my feet, threw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, packed my backpack with a few things, and wrote a note to Emmett and Rose, telling them not to worry and that I would be back soon. I told them I was sorry and I loved them both, and left the scribbled note on the kitchen table before I raced out of the house, heading towards my past.


	10. Chapter 10

I ran for the next 26 hours, not stopping to rest, catch my breath, or think about what I was doing. Because I knew that if I did stop and let my thoughts catch up with me, I would turn around and head back to my new home, back with the Cullens, but right now I had to get away. I had to get away and process.

During the run, I was a wreck. I cried like I had never cried before, and at one point I actually think my body ran out of water to produce tears. It was then that I felt truly like a vampire, crying tearless sobs. Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of hunting, I would catch anything I saw- deer, rabbits, and even a large cat, all of which made the gold specks in my eyes much more prominent.

I knew when Rosalie and Emmett had returned to the house, because my phone started vibrating in my pocket, seeming to never end. Never slowing down, I whipped the phone out of my pocket, noticing missed calls from Rose, Emmett, and Seth. More tearless sobs raked through my body as I turned off the small device, throwing it in my backpack.

Through the entire run, I had a constant stream of thoughts circulating around in my head. _Did my parents actually love me? Why was my mother never like that when I was younger? Why did I see my parent's death? What was Amelia doing there? Could she have shown me the dream? Was that even possible? _

Finally, finally, finally, I reached my destination, and even though it was the dead of night, I could see the barren field clear as day. My heart painfully beat inside my chest as I walked to the middle of the field, taking in my surroundings. The scarce trees hiding the small creek I used to bathe in, the rough dirt that covered my once standing house, and the two large rocks, which were my parent's make-shift gravestones.

Part of me was aware that I was standing in the middle of someone's land, their grazing field more precisely, but as I kneeled in front of my mother's rock, I suddenly didn't care. I don't know how long I sat there, clinging to the large rock and gasping with dry sobs, until I felt the numb feeling. No one was with me, that I was sure of, and nothing was happing to me, but I felt different, like something had changed within me. Everything felt like a lie to me now: my childhood, my parents, and Amelia.

She wasn't caring, or kind, or an angel, like I had originally thought when I first laid eyes on her. She was a monster- a cold, heartless, cruel monster. She was the reason why my parents were dead, why I never felt their true love for me, and the reason I was so different, even from people of my kind. I wasn't positive with all of these accusations, but once they entered my head, and I murmured them out loud, I knew they were correct.

I pulled back from my mother's rock, no longer crying, but feeling numb, with a slight determination making my expression look hard. Blinking away the still lingering tears, I looked around, surprised to no longer see the dark field, but my yellow house, standing before me like a beacon, pulling me forward.

Still slightly confused, I slowly got to my feet, walking towards the house. When I reached the brick steps, I looked down, recognizing my small hand outlined on the red and black blocks. Kneeling, I placed my hand over the outline, noticing how much larger my hand was now. A light wisp of air pulled me back to the present, and I glanced up, realizing that the front door was pushed open, showing the wooden stair case, small kitchen, and living room.

I didn't want to go in; I really couldn't go in and see the last places my parents had been before they were killed. Falling heavily onto the brick steps, I curled in on myself, suddenly being enveloped by the darkness.

My eyes slowly opened, taking in the large boulder I was pressed against; my skin itched where it grazed against the broken dirt and sharp rocks, and I realized it had all been a dream- the steps, the stairs, the house.

Light seeped into my eyesight as I registered it was early morning, and I suddenly became aware of a noise- someone was walking towards me. Curling closer the rock, I hoped that I was invisible, being completely ignored by the new person. I stopped breathing, shut my mind off, and squeezed my eyes shut, hoping beyond hope that whoever the person was would just keep walking, ignoring the broken girl curled on the ground, but of course, I was wrong.

"Emmett and Rosalie are very upset with themselves," the voice said behind me. "They blame themselves for you running away."

I sighed in relief, instantly recognizing the voice, and pulled myself, slowly, into a sitting position. His footsteps came closer and soon he was sitting beside me, close to my father's boulder, while I held my knees close to my chest.

"Sorry," my voice was very hearse, almost inaudible, but I was sure he heard me.

His hand came up to cup my shoulder and I flinched from the contact, seeping back to my former state of mind where physical contact was forbidden.

"Do you want to talk about it," Jasper asked slowly, pulling his hand away.

"They loved me," I choked out, curling in on myself more.

Jasper scooted closer to me, slowly taking me in his arms, and this time I crumbled. Leaning against his chest, I closed my eyes, holding back the tears that were threatening to spill.

"I never doubted that," he whispered into my hair.

With that, I started crying again, but the tears wouldn't come. Instead, I gasped and sobbed tearlessly into my brother's shirt, all while he gently rubbed my back, telling me it was alright. _But it wasn't alright_, I kept telling myself, _this wasn't alright_.

"How did you know I was here," I asked into his shirt. "How did you find me here?"

I felt him chuckle humorlessly beside me, "Alice, of course. She saw you leave and run across the Texas border. I figured out the rest from there."

"Oh," I didn't really know what to say.

"What happened?" He whispered, "Why did you leave?"

Image after image of my dream flashed behind my closed eyelids- the house, my father, my mother, and the two men who ended their lives. What I could remember of last night danced around in my memory as well, showing me how broken I was, sitting on the imaginary steps of my former home.

_All you've got is me_, Amelia's voice sounded through my head.

"Am I in trouble," I asked, ignoring Jasper's question completely. I didn't want to talk about it now, especially with Jasper. "Is everyone mad at me?"

Jasper sighed, "They're not angry with you, just concerned. We were all wondering why you just got up and left. We are just worried about you, especially Esme."

"Sorry," I apologized again. "I just… had to come here."

He nodded, not really knowing what to say after my weak explanation. I knew he wanted more, needed to know my reasoning, but I couldn't tell him, not quite yet. There was someone else I needed to talk to first, someone who could help me decipher exactly what was going on with my dreams and Amelia.

"Hayley," Jasper pulled my face up so I could see him. "Are you listening to me?"

"Um… no," I answered weakly. I hadn't even realized he was talking to me.

"I said," he laughed. "I brought a surprise along with me for you."

"Oh," I probably sounded confused, "ok."

Jasper rolled his eyes at my weak enthusiasm, getting up and walking away, leaving me sitting alone near the two large rocks. I watched him in confusion, wondering what he was up to, when I smelled him- the sharp woodland aroma amongst the barren farm life.

In the next second, I was shakily getting to my feet and sprinting towards my love, my mate, my imprint, Seth. I hadn't realized how much I missed him until he came into view, running at me from Alice's yellow Porsche. When he finally reached me, he pulled me into his arms, lifting me off the ground, and crushing me to his chest. I wrapped my arms around his neck, clinging to him, while my legs circled his waist, not wanting to let go. Once I got over the initial elation of being in his arms, I became aware of him kissing my head, neck, cheeks, and nose.

"Do you know how worried I've been," he breathed. "I didn't know what had happened to you."

I couldn't respond; I couldn't form the words, so I just pulled myself tighter to him, trailing kisses along his neck, up to his chin, and finally stopping at the corner of his mouth. His kisses became less hungry and more gently when he moved to my lips, not showing how worried he was anymore, but how much he cared for me. When my tears began to trail down his cheeks, Seth pulled me close, hugging me to him, my head buried in the crook of his neck.

"Don't ever do that again," he whispered brokenly. "Please promise me you will never do that to me again."

Sniffling, I squeezed myself tighter against him, though it seemed impossible, and quietly apologized into his neck. I'm not sure if he noticed, but I just couldn't bring myself to promise him anything. I wanted too, I desperately wanted too, but I couldn't get the words out.

**This is a really short chapter, but that probably just means I will put two chapters up today **

**Thanks again to all those who are reading this story and is sticking with me as I continue to write!**

**P.S. I changed the name of the story, lol**


	11. Chapter 11

I hadn't even made through the door before Esme's arms were pulling me into a tight hug.

"Oh Hayley," she breathed, "I was so worried."

I wanted to apologize, I wanted to tell her that it would never happen again, but I couldn't promise her anything, not with Amelia back in the picture. Why had she decided to come back now? I hadn't thought about her in over a century!

"You must be hungry," Esme chided. "Edward, please be a dear and put something together for Hayley and Seth."

Esme was pulling back, allowing a worry-stricken Rosalie to pull me into a tight hug when my eyes traveled over to Carlisle. He would know what do, right? He had spent time with the brothers.

"Carlisle," I croaked, "I need to talk to you."

He was by my side in an instant, concern coloring his bright yellow eyes. Rosalie pulled back slowly, giving me a questioning look. Typically, she and Alice were the first to hear my secrets, but this was a different matter, a more important matter.

"Can we step outside," I tried to be as quiet as possible. I knew everyone was worried and wanted to speak with me, but I needed Carlisle's words of wisdom first, before I brought the rest of my family into the mess.

"Of course, dear," Carlisle nodded; moving to the door and holding it open for me to walk through.

As soon as the door closed behind him, the whispered exchanges between my siblings followed.

"What happened to her?" Rosalie hissed, probably at Jasper.

"Are you hearing anything, Edward?" Alice's quiet voice sounded very concerned.

"She seems scared," was Edward's only reply.

The whispers died out as Carlisle and I moved further and further from the house. It was nice to know that he seemed to sense my panic, hence not stopping until we were far enough away that my siblings could not eavesdrop on the conversation.

"What's troubling you?" Carlisle sounded like any overly concerned father.

"How much do you know about the three brothers," my voice wavered slightly.

He stared at me for a moment, confused, but then spoke: "I lived with them for a while, but I told you this before, Hayley. Is something wrong? Has something happened?"

"I had a dream the other night," I started weakly, "about the night my parents died, but instead of following myself when Amelia took me; I saw my momma and the man who killed her. She told the man to spare me… she loved me."

I hadn't even realized tears were trailing down my cheeks until Carlisle reached out to hug me. He pulled me in for a swift hug and then sat us down on the closest boulder. He squeezed my shoulder, urging me to continue.

"It wasn't a dream; Amelia showed it to me, she showed me how my parents died. She told me… she said '_All you've got is me.' _Like she made me think my parents never loved me."

Carlisle let out a long breathe beside me, "Has she ever done this before… come into your dreams?"

"Not for over a hundred years," I shook gently.

Carlisle pondered on everything he'd heard, and suddenly I felt nervous. What if he knew nothing? What if it was just a dream?

"Since you've come into our lives, I've been researching the existence of a sister to the three brothers, but I have yet to find anything. You remember nothing from her talking to you when she changed you?"

"No," I said lamely, looking down at my hands. "I don't."

Carlisle turned me gently, making me look into his eyes. He seemed to be searching for something on my face, and after not finding anything he said very quietly, but with the strength of a stern father, "Hayley, I am your family now. If you remember anything I need to know, because I only wish to help you. This could be the difference between keeping you safe and well to not. Do you understand?"

I nodded, understanding, but still frightened. When Amelia changed me, she stayed with me the three days, constantly talking, but I could not remember what she shared with me. She told me I was going to be special, that I knew, but nothing else.

Suddenly, an idea struck me, but in order to find the answer, I would need to return home.

"I think I have an idea," I said to Carlisle, standing up beside him, "but we need Bella's help."

As we opened the door to enter the house, the front room fell silent, with everyone's eyes on Carlisle and I. Seth, Edward, and Alice were in the kitchen, standing around the bar top as Seth ate the food Edward had prepared. Seth moved off the stool as I entered, taking a step towards me, but stopping when my eyes moved past him to Bella, who was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, holding a sleepy Nessie on her lap.

Without a word, Bella stood and gingerly gave the sleeping child to Esme, who took Nessie and placed a small kiss on her forehead.

"I need to ask a favor," I said quietly as Esme moved up the stairs to put Nessie in my room. I hadn't realized how late in the night Jasper, Seth, and I had gotten back. It was almost two in the morning. Poor, little Nessie had stayed up all night to see me home, and I hadn't even said hello to her.

"Of course," Bella replied, trying to hide the confusion in her eyes.

"I need you to block me thoughts," I began, "in my own head."

Bella looked to Carlisle swiftly, then back to me, "I don't know if I can do that."

"I need you to try," I pleaded, "for me."

Bella's eyes betrayed her and her true concern came pouring out. She moved us over to the couch, allowing us to sit while still facing each other. Carlisle moved with us, sitting on the edge of the coffee table, watching closely to make sure nothing would go wrong. The rest of the family moved with us, migrating to the living room. Hushed whispers were shared, but I was too focused on the possibility to finally finding the truth about what Amelia told me that I didn't hear what was being discussed.

Rosalie, not one known for her patience, must have not been satisfied with her siblings quiet words, for she asked, rather loudly, "what is going on here?"

I looked over to her and instantly regretted it. She looked so worried I thought for a moment she might actually burst into tears. Emmett was standing by her side, with an arm wrapped around her waist, but tonight his touch was doing nothing to comfort her.

I hadn't thought about what my leaving would've done to her, seeing as she and Emmett were the ones home with me when I had rapidly left. Rosalie and I were extremely close, and after hearing her story I understood why she felt connected to me in a way that was different to the rest of the Cullens. She probably felt as though I was betraying her in a sense by leaving without a word.

Carlisle was the first to speak, "We are trying to see if Hayley remembers anything about Amelia."

"She visited me in a dream," I tried my best to answer the confused faces around me. "The first time in over a hundred years, and I need to know why. Bella's going to help me figure out what she said to me when she changed me."

"Are you sure about this," Seth's voice said quietly next to my ear.

I jumped slightly. Looking to my left, I found Seth kneeling by my side. I hadn't even heard him move to sit next to me. I reached over and grabbed his hand, nodding, and then turned back to Bella.

She gave me a wiry smile, leaning forward to place her hands on either side of my head.

"Close your eyes," she instructed and I obeyed.

There was a calming sensation as my thoughts drifted away, leaving me in a vast openness. I felt my face scrunch up in concentration as I scanned my mind, trying to remember something that was long past remembering.

"Is she in pain?" I thought I heard someone ask.

_Amelia_, I thought to myself, _Amelia what are you hiding_.

"Are you remembering anything," Carlisle's voice sounded through my head, his hand lightly touching my arm.

"No," I said angrily, but just as the word left my mouth something struck me, taking my breath away.

It was as though a large wooden door was standing in my way, silly as it sounds. I knocked, banged, and kicked, but all that replied was a hissing noise, which if I concentrated enough was saying "_you're not ready…"_

I pulled my hand away from Seth and placed them on top of Bella's, pushing them harder against my head, hoping that she could help me break down the wall. Suddenly, I felt ten times larger, and my bangs on the door echoed throughout my head. A crack sent splinters of the door flying, and I could hear a woman whispering.

Another kick, another crack. Then the whispers became apologies.

I raised my arm to strike the door again, but this time, the doors swung open on their own accords, showing a dark room with a single, flickering light. I was no longer in the Cullens living room, no longer sitting on the couch with Bella, but back in that abandoned, haunted house.

_You wanted to know so badly_, Amelia whispered in my ear, _I'll show you myself_.

I took a tentative step forward, looking down on myself as I withered in pain on an old, dirty cot. There was a woman sitting next to me, watching as I thrashed and cried beside her, but she seemed unfazed by the whole situation. Instead, she was talking, almost to herself, but I could hear the words clear as day.

"We were living in Europe, my family and I, down in Italy. There were rumors of the bubonic plague moving down south from England, but we never believed it. You see, me and my brothers were arrogant. Our father was the Lord of the village we lived in, and Marcus, my oldest brother was set to be the next Lord.

"The three of my brothers were very close, little one, and I was the only female in my family, for my mother had passed while giving birth to me. I believe my brothers still held that against me, though I was just an infant.

"While we were growing up I always felt the need to prove myself, much like you my little dove. I was never needed in the family; my father already had his three heirs. I could easily be sold off as a common street whore in order to raise more money for my brother's kingdom.

"But one day, while my brothers and I were walking we stumbled upon an old hag lying in the street. She was dead, and had been for many days, judging by the stench. Aro, my arrogant brother, marched right up to her and kicked the mangled body, laughing at his new game.

"I was repulsed and told them we should report the body so it could be moved, but my brothers had different ideas. They wished me to taste the blood that was seeping from her face.

"Delightful brothers, my little one, weren't they? Nothing like your handsome brother. I should've returned home, but how could I keep face with my brothers if I didn't answer their request? So I bent down and lapped at the blood pooling around the mouth, eyes, and ears of the dead woman.

"They were impressed, to say the least, and shortly after we returned home. The next morning, I fell quiet ill, but even the most praised healer in our village could not find a source. On the third day of my sickness, my heart stopped beating. They thought I dead, but my body still moved, my eyes still saw, my anger still welled.

"When I awoke the fourth day, there was a terrible pain in my throat, but I knew not of what I hungered. My father was the first to visit me, offering me a flask of water. I gladly took it, but shuddered away from the vile drink. My father reached to feel my head, hoping the fever had broken, but when his wrist passed over my nose, I lost all control.

"His death was quick, which didn't entirely please me, but sufficed nonetheless, for the burning was gone. I removed myself from my bed and made to exit the room, when my brothers entered.

"I must hurry, little one. I will spare you the details, but you must know that I bit my brothers and together, the four of us became the first vampires in existence. That I know of, my brothers stuck together, hiding from me, while I searched for ways to rid the earth of their vileness.

"While on my search, I had a dream about you little bird; a girl who possessed incredible durability and kindness. You see, in my dream, you were able to survive even the harshest fires, those who had otherwise killed others I had created. You were able to take a human household and raise a family. You were able to love and be loved, the perfect weapon you see, one with many sources of holes which could be persuaded by manipulation, but virtually indestructible.

"I have waited a long time for you, so my dear one, I want you to awake in your own time and search for your dear brother, for I made sure he would still be waiting for you. I want you to live happily with your family and love those around you.

"Then when the time is right, I will return to you and we will carry out the deed you were designed to do…"

_Enough for tonight,_ Amelia whispered harshly, pulling me roughly back from the scene playing before my eyes.

Suddenly I was back in the living room, with Seth gripping my leg and Bella holding her hands to my head. When she felt me come to, her hands pulled back quickly, a gasp leaving her as she listened with me to Amelia's last words to my shaking body all those years ago.

"What is it," Carlisle asked, worry evident on his tongue.

My eyes opened to see Bella staring at me with terror in her eyes. I wish I could've taken it back, but she had already heard.

"What does she want from you," Edward asked. I could practically feel him digging in my head to figure out what was causing the terror in his wife's eyes.

"She wants me to kill the three brothers," I whispered.


	12. Chapter 12

"What did she say," Carlisle asked again.

We were all seated in the living room and the tension was practically visible. Carlisle and Esme were seated across from me on the couch, each sitting on the edge, worry and questions clouding their eyes. Edward sat next to Esme, pinching the bridge of his nose as he concentrated on everything that had been shared over the past two hours.

To his left, Jasper sat on the chair, lighting running his fingers through Alice's hair as she sat at his feet. She was looking back and forth between Carlisle, Edward, and I, not really sure what could be done to diffuse the situation. Bella was seated on the arm of Jasper's chair, occasionally moving her eyes from Edward to the stairs, listening for Renesme to wake up.

Across from my brother sat Rosalie and Emmett, each squished together comfortably as they sorted through the information, similar to Edward. Rosalie looked tense, but what unnerved me was the worry on Emmett's face, for I had never seen him without a smile.

Next to me sat Seth, who hadn't left my side since Bella and I were seated on this couch over two hours ago. One arm was wrapped securely around my waist, while his other hand clasped one of mine tightly. Every once in a while he would squeeze my hand, sending me silent strength.

"I told you everything, Carlisle," I couldn't hide the frustration in my voice. We had gone through Amelia's story twice now and it was well past dawn. I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep.

"We know you're tired, honey," Esme's voice sounded extremely tired, "but we are just trying to understand."

"What else is there to understand," I yelled, losing my temper. "She wants me to kill her brothers! That's the only reason why I'm still alive. I'm meant to be a murderer."

All eyes turned to look at me, pain registering in all their faces. Seth pulled me closer and shook his head.

"What other choice do I have," I rounded on him, "not do it? Don't listen to her? She'll hurt me in some other way! She'll hurt Jasper or Alice or Rose or Nessie," my voice began to become thick with tears. "Or Jake… or you."

Silence followed as my words sunk in, my heart weighing heavily. Didn't they understand, didn't they hear? Amelia can't touch me, but she could hurt the ones around me. That's why Jasper was still here…hell that's probably why Alice was still here, why all the Cullens were still alive.

"We won't let anything like that happen," Edward's cool voice brought me out of my thoughts.

I looked up to find him staring at me, hearing my thoughts and understanding my fears.

"We've fought the originals before and won," Edward said, now looking around at the others. "What's stopping us this time?"

"And no one knows about this," Alice said confidently. "Last time, Irina brought the Volturi into the situation, but no one knows about Hayley."

"And Amelia doesn't seem like the type to make her plan public," Emmett added in, "So no harm done. There's no sense in worrying about it now."

I let their words sink in, but I wasn't appeased, "But what if she finds me? What if she gets one of you?"

"Then we will deal with it when the time comes," Carlisle said. "Emmett's right, from what you said, Amelia doesn't seem to want to rush anything and the brother's don't know anything about you, so they won't be searching you out. We are all safe right now. You are safe. That's all that matters."

I looked down at the table, hiding my eyes from my family. How could they not see the immediate danger that was looming over their heads just by having me here? I should just leave and cause them no more trouble.

"We are a family," Edward spoke up, "and we will get through this as a family."

At Edward's words, my eyes rose up to meet his, and then moved around to the others in the room. There was a fierce determination in each of their eyes, a fierce protectiveness that I had not seen before. I was suddenly overcome with a strong need to protect these people around me, these people who were my family.

"I won't let anything happen to you," I said strongly, looking into each of my family's eyes. "To any of you."

"As we won't let anything happen to you," Jasper said sternly as he moved from his seat to stand beside me, grabbing my free hand.

I moved out of Seth's arms to hug my brother, pulling him close and welcoming his calming waves. With my face still pressed against his chest, I mumbled, "I'm sorry to bring you into this mess."

"It's actually pretty exciting," Emmett said seriously. "Things were getting pretty boring around here."

Silence followed as I pulled out of Jasper's embrace to stare at Emmett. He stared back, measuring my response. Then we both broke into a fit of laughter that caused the rest of the family to join in. We still had a lot to figure out, but in that moment I knew that no matter what, we would all still be okay.

As the tension slowly diffused in the house, Carlisle excused himself with a swift kiss to Esme. I had no doubt he was racing to his office to do more research, now that he had a lead as to who Amelia was and how she came to be in existence.

Seth came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. As his head came to rest on my shoulder, I closed my eyes, leaning back into his embrace and finally succumbing to the exhaustion that was taking hold of my body.

"I have to get back to Sam and Emily's," he whispered into my ear. "I'm patrolling tomorrow."

"No," I shook my head, pulling his arms closer around me.

"Hayley," he sounded slightly amused, slightly pained, "I have to go, plus your brother would have my head if I stayed here."

I turned around in his arms so I could look up into his face, noticing as well that my siblings had all gone up to their respective rooms, leaving Seth and I alone down stairs. I stretched up so I could lightly kiss him right below his chin.

"Don't leave me," I whispered against his throat. "I need you to be with me right now."

Seth lowered his head onto mine and placed a soft kiss to the top of my head, sighing against my hair. He moved us over to the couch, laying us both down together. He moved as far back as he could on the small cushions, trying to allow room for me, but it didn't matter, all I needed was to be in his arms.

We finally situated ourselves on the couch, each with our arms wrapped around each other and my head pressed into his neck. Somewhere upstairs I heard Alice quietly telling Jasper to let me be, that it would only be for tonight.

"Hayley," Seth whispered into my hair, "I know you know this, but… I love you and I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

Tears pricked at my eyes at Seth's words. Yes, we both knew that we loved each other and had known since the day we met, several months ago now, but we had still never said the three words.

"I love you too," I responded, wiggling myself up so I could kiss his lips.

Seth smiled, kissed my forehead, and closed his eyes, signaling that we should both get to sleep, for he would be leaving soon for patrol and Nessie, no doubt, would be up at any minute.

I snuggled closer to Seth, happier than I had been in a while, but fear still had a strong hold in my stomach. I didn't know what was coming next, what Amelia had planned, or where she was currently; all things which had me highly concerned.

My family's responses made sense and I was thankful for their lack of panic, but they had never met Amelia. I wasn't scared for my safety, but rather for the loved ones around me. I couldn't bare to continue on if something happened to any of my siblings… Carlisle…Esme…the boys… _Seth._

I shuddered slightly at the thought and pushed it out of my mind. _No_, I thought, _I won't let anything happen to my family._

Suddenly a chill seemed to seep into my body as Amelia's voice sounded in my head.

_De fumo in flammam, bellum omnium in omnes, no one is safe from war, little one._


	13. Chapter 13

The sounds of bacon frying in a pan woke me later that morning. I stretched on the couch, finding that I had too much room. My eyes peeked open and I found I was alone on the couch. I expected this, for Seth had to get back to the Rez, but it still pained me to be away from him.

As my eyes adjusted and I pulled myself up on the couch, Amelia's words came crashing back into my mind, sending my head spinning around.

"Seth said he would call you later," Esme's voice travelled over from the kitchen. "Jacob called him this morning and said he had to get back home."

My head whipped around to the kitchen where Alice and Rosalie sat, talking quietly while Esme cooked me breakfast. I was happy Seth had left a message, but he wasn't who I was looking for at the moment.

"Where's Carlisle," my voice sounded extremely loud.

Alice and Rosalie turned to look at me, confused as to why I was asking for Carlisle.

"He had to go to the hospital this morning," Esme answered. "He'll be back later this afternoon."

_That won't do_, I thought, _I need answers now_.

I sprung up from my spot on the couch and made my way to the stairs, where Alice and Rosalie met me, quickly followed by Esme as she shut off the oven.

"What's wrong," Rosalie asked as two doors opened up on the second floor, signaling that Emmett and Jasper was going to join our little party.

"Amelia said something to me last night," I told them as I made my way towards Carlisle's office. "In a language I didn't understand."

"What did she say," Alice asked as she followed me into the office, pulling various books off the shelves.

"_De fumo in flammam, bellum omnium in omnes," _I recited, "_No one is safe from war, little one."_

"That's Latin," Emmett surprised us all by saying.

We froze, turning to look at him and he seemed embarrassed slightly.

"You speak Latin," Rosalie asked, staring incredulously at her husband.

"No," he laughed at our shocked faces, "but Edward does. I heard him speaking it before, that's how I recognized it… and don't look so shocked! You make me feel stupid."

I turned my eyes to Alice, nodding, as Rosalie kissed her husband, telling him that he was not stupid. Alice pulled out her phone, telling Edward he was needed at the house. While we waited, I walked over to Carlisle's desk, pushing aside the old journals he was reading through to write down what Amelia had said to the best of my abilities.

"What's going on," Edward asked, walking briskly into the room.

Bella and Nessie quickly followed, with Bella looking highly concerned to see us all in Carlisle's office. Nessie, not phased the least, ran to my side and hugged my leg. Happy to see her, I leaned down to scoop her up into my arms, holding her close.

"Amelia said something to her," Alice explained, "something in Latin."

"We thought you could translate," Jasper added.

Edward turned to look at me and his daughter, "What did she say?"

He moved forward as I recited the lines, writing them on a piece of paper, studying the words for a few seconds. A flash of confusion, understanding, and then apprehension settled over his face as he studied the slip of paper. While we waited for him to decipher the words, Bella moved to stand beside me, taking her daughter back into her arms.

"'Out of the smoke into the flames'," Edward said quietly, "'the war of all against all'."

He turned to look at me, pushing the slip towards me. A tight, unsettling feeling seemed to seep into my core as I let the words settle in my mind.

"Do you have any idea what that means," Edward asked as the rest of the family moved to stand with us, hoping to find answers as well.

"I have no idea," I whispered, looking back at the paper.

Esme excused herself to call Carlisle, and at the request of Edward, she also made a quick call to Sam, requesting that he and Jacob come over to so the boys on the Rez would know of what was going on.

"There was more to it," Jasper said, taking the paper from me and writing the translated portion underneath. "What else did she say?"

"'No one is safe from war'," I said automatically.

"So… a war," Emmett stated, "She's telling you there's going to be a war?"

I remained silent, trying to sort through all my thoughts. Esme returned, putting her phone back in her pocket, and coming to stand near Bella and Nessie, taking the squirming child into her own hands. With a nod from Bella, Esme left with Nessie, not wanting her to hear all this talk of war. When she passed, Esme reached up to kiss my head, sending a small smile in my direction. It was when she closed the door that I realized Amelia's purpose.

"No," I looked around at my siblings, "She means to tell me that she's going to hurt you all."

"We've already been through this," Rosalie said from her place next to Emmett, "We will be fine, as long as you are safe."

"I couldn't live with myself if I let anything happen to any of you," I sounded panicked.

"Everyone dies," Bella whispered, "Even vampires."

"Not me," I said harshly, looking down at the table.

"You can't possibly know that," Jasper said, not believing me.

"But I do," I said slowly.

"How," he challenged.

"Because I've tried," I screeched, looking up to glare at him.

Silence followed as my words sunk in. Jasper and I stared at each other as Rosalie gasped quietly. Jasper's eyes, previously angered, turned to horrification as he realized what I had just shared.

It was during this time that Carlisle pulled open his office door, entering into the tense scene. Though I didn't turn to look at him, I knew he had heard the exchange between Jasper and me.

"When I woke up," I said slowly, breaking my gaze with Jasper, "I was confused an all alone. I didn't know where to go or even if you were still alive, let alone what Amelia had done to me.

"I survived a couple weeks on human food, but it got to a point where the thirst became unbearable. I found that I could practically smell the blood in other people's veins…

"I tried bullets to the head, knives to the heart, ropes around my neck but nothing worked. I even tried burning myself once, but that only knocked me out for a few days. After I woke up again, I looked as good as new."

"Hayley," Alice breathed, sounding horrified.

"So, while you might believe that everyone can die," I continued, gliding over Alice's comment, "even vampires, I can assure you that I am one who truly can't die…and Amelia knows this, that's why she's using you all against me, so I have to do what she wants me to do."

There was a moment of silence before Edward spoke, "That explains 'no one is safe from war', but not the rest."

I turned my eyes to Edwards, truly grateful that he changed the subject. He gave me a curt nod of understanding.

Carlisle came forward, studying Amelia's words. He seemed to weigh the weight of each word as he read them.

"I can only assume that 'the war of all against all' entails us _all," _and he motioned to us, "fighting against the Volturi and their _all, _seeing as Amelia wants you to kill the three brothers."

I nodded slowly, understanding his explanation, but still thinking there had to be more to her words, something hidden underneath their depths.

"But how would that make sense," Alice asked. "The Volturi don't know about any of this, and we agreed last night that Amelia isn't one to go and force their hand."

Once again, I found myself nodding, but still thinking there had to be more. From what I had learned the last few days from my dreams, Amelia was not one to play safely. She wanted an audience, she wanted revenge, she wanted justice, no matter what the cost.

My heart went out to those around me as I processed this all in my mind. _How could I keep all of them safe? How could I keep all of the boys down at the Rez safe?_ They were my family now and I would do anything to keep them safe.

Then a more horrifying thought crashed into my mind, _how could I keep Seth safe?_

As if hearing his name in my head, Carlisle's office door opened again, revealing Sam, Jacob, and Seth, the latter of which looked extremely worried. As we made eye contact across the room, my heart swelled with love at the sight of seeing his face. He smiled at me, happy to see that I was fine, and I smiled in return.

Seth took a step forward, brushing past Jacob, when my smile faltered and everything around me went black. For a split second, I thought I heard Alice gasp beside me, but the thought disappeared as a new voice entered my head.

_You're ready, my dear_, Amelia said sweetly.

**I'm going to be gone for the night, so this is my last update probably until tomorrow evening. **

**Enjoy!**

**Thanks again for all the reviews and those who are still continuing to read this story.**


	14. Chapter 14

_We were walking down a long, dimly lit, damp corridor. Whispers could be heard down at the end of the long tunnel, but no light indicated where the voices were coming from. _

_Our pace quickened slightly, and then we were standing upon a door. _

_The door was pulled open, revealing a large, brightly lit, circular room. There were tall, tan pillars surrounding the perimeter of the room. On the opposite side of the room sat three, large, black thrones, each holding an important looking man. On the far right sat the oldest looking man, whose face was drawn and sad, hidden slightly by his long, dark hair. On the far left sat the youngest man, whose face was a harsh mask of indifference. He seemed neither concerned nor appealed by newest addition to the room, but rather overtly annoyed. _

_In the center sat a man whose long, dark hair was clipped back in order to expose his sharply defined face. He stared out across the room, seeming to look into our souls as we entered the large room. We froze, waiting, but with a small flick of the middle man's finger, we were ushered forward._

"_What is it you wish to convey," the middle man asked slowly._

"_Aro," the woman before me spoke and realization struck._

_I was in Italy! These were the three brothers! _

"_There is something I believe should be brought to your attention," the woman continued. "Something which I believe could put you in danger."_

_I tried to take a step forward, but I found myself frozen. I couldn't even lean forward to see the female standing in front of me. _

"_What is that, my dear," Aro asked, sounding somewhat intrigued. _

"_There has been a new addition to the Cullen family," the woman said._

_A gasp tore through my lips and I strained to move so I could stop the woman from speaking. She was going to tell the brothers who I was! _

"_I believe, sir, that they wish to undermine you," the woman continued. "Their coven grows larger every day."_

_The three brothers seemed to weigh the information laid before them. At this news, the light haired brother seemed to take interest, leaning over to Aro in order to consult._

"_It appears as though we are in order to pay our dear friend Carlisle a visit," Aro smiled. "Thank you for your words… you may be excused."_

_The woman bowed slightly, saying a quiet, "Thank you."_

_As she turned, and the woman and I made eye contact, my breath caught in my throat. Her face began changing from an unfamiliar woman to that of Amelia. Once she realized I recognized her, she winked, sending me back into the present._

My eyes sprang open and I was back in Carlisle's office. My head whipped around, taking in all the worried expressions, but I stopped when I found a pair of caramel eyes staring back at me, holding as much terror as my body felt.

Alice must have seen the same thing I just witnessed.

"What happened," Carlisle's voice asked, calm as always.

"They know," I whispered, still staring at Alice.

"The Volturi are coming," Alice said, never breaking my gaze.

"How long," Edward asked tensely.

"A month," Alice said, finally looking away from my eyes, "maybe."

Silence followed Alice's words as they each sank in. I felt a hand slowly latch onto mine and I turned to see that Seth was standing next to me, fear evident in his gaze. I moved closer, disregarding his hand in order to wrap an arm around his waist as he circled his arms around me, pulling me close.

I had forgotten that Jacob, Sam, and Seth had walked into the office when Amelia had invaded my mind. Sam and Jacob were probably clueless.

"If that's true, then we need to be prepared," Jacob's voice rang out from across the desk.

My eyes left Seth's face to look over at Jacob as he stared at me, nodding solemnly. Seth had probably told them what the Cullen's had learned about Amelia; actually, the entire pack probably knew at this rate.

"We'll start tomorrow," Jasper nodded.

**This is a super short chapter, but I have a few more I will probably post today.**

**Well, we are getting to the end of this story- probably just a few more chapters to go before the epilogue. **

**But I promise there will be a few more twists in the story… we don't know everything Amelia. **

**Thanks for all the reviews and for sticking with this story! I feel like I can't say that enough **


	15. Chapter 15

"We haven't had to meet like this for some time," Carlisle smiled wryly, taking in the scene before him, "But a danger looms over our family."

After Alice's vision, Carlisle and Sam quickly went to work on organizing a meeting with all the boys from the Rez and the Cullen family. It was early the next morning and the large group of us were stationed around a large field, which, according to Bella, was where the family typically held baseball games.

Carlisle stood in the center, flanked by both Sam and Jasper, both of whom would be instructing us on how to handle ourselves in combat. Standing closet to the trio stood my immediate family, Seth, and Jacob. Jacob was huddled by Bella and Edward, trying to discreetly play with Nessie as she braided his long hair from her spot on his shoulders.

Emmett, Rosalie, Esme, and Alice stood a few feet away, listening to Carlisle's words. Occasionally, Emmett would glance behind him, making eye contact with Paul and Jared, wagging his eyebrows. Emmett was probably taking the most pleasure in this day, seeing as he would get to wrestle with the boys down from the Rez.

Seth and I were standing a few feet away from them, trying to have a little privacy as we listened to Carlisle. Seth stood behind me, his hands lightly rubbing up and down my arms, trying to warm me up from the chilly air. I pressed my back closer against his stomach and chest, feeling more of his warmth. I kept forgetting that it was almost September, that we should've started school two weeks ago, but with everything else going on, we all dismissed the thought, putting it off for another year.

Behind us, stood the rest of the wolf pack, some still in their human skin, while some still felt safer in their wolf forms. Paul, Jared, Quil, and Embry were all standing together, sending mock threatening looks to Emmett, ready, like my brother, to start training. Colin, Brady, and now Ben and Chris, the newest additions to the wolf pack, were all in their wolf form, not quite as convinced as their other brothers that the Cullens were their friends.

Then, the farthest away from the rest, stood Leah. From what Jacob told me this morning, it took a lot of convincing to get Leah to agree to come to training today, seeing as she still wasn't the biggest fan of me. This had technically been the second time I'd seen her, dismissing those few awkward encounters down at the Rez when she was leaving Sam and Emily's as I was entering. Jacob said she was no longer calling me names when I was brought into conversation and Seth's mom was letting Seth move back into the house, but it still didn't change the fact that Leah didn't like me.

"The Volturi are coming," Carlisle said gravelly, taking time to look at all of us. "We must be ready, because unlike last time, I am not as confident this will end in a peaceful conversation."

Jasper stepped forward, "I think it's best if we," and he motioned to the Cullens, "do a few sparring matches first, so we are all comfortable with the different style of fighting. Then we can pair off, switching occasionally. This will allow you to experience different styles of fighting."

There were nods of agreement as Jasper looked over at Emmett, beckoning him forward. Emmett grinned, disentangling himself from Rosalie's arms to jog a few feet and then stop, staring down Jasper. I pressed myself further into Seth's chest, grabbing his hands to wrap his arms around me, hoping to shield myself from the anxiety of seeing my two brothers fighting. Sensing my unease, Seth leaned down to kiss the top of my head, whispering little words of comfort.

Emmett surged forward with a low growl, throwing his arms open in an attempt to grab Jasper, but he easily escaped, dodging to the left. Jasper continued veering to the left, circling behind Emmett as Emmett swung around wildly, looking for Jasper. As if sensing that was going to be his next move, Jasper jumped, easily flying over Emmett's head, landing lightly behind his bulking form, taking hold of his neck, signaling his win.

This continued on for a half hour as Jasper went against the rest of my family, only losing to Alice and Edward, both of whom obviously had the upper hand. I watched intently as my siblings and parents sparred with Jasper, tensing every few seconds. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but watching them spar was enough to make me queasy.

"Alright, let's pair off now," Jasper said, turning to Sam.

"Wait," I called out, making all eyes turn to me. "What about me?"

Jasper looked at me questioningly, not understanding what I was asking about. I pulled out of Seth's embrace, stepping closer to my brother.

"Don't I get a turn," I asked.

"You're not learning to fight," Jasper answered evenly, turning back to Sam.

"And why not," I asked, furious.

"Because you won't be fighting," Jasper responded, sounding annoyed. "So we are not going to waste time by watching you spar with someone. Now, we need to get back to training, so please just sit to the side."

"Who are you to decide that," I seethed, "This is my fight!"

"I'm not having this discussion, Hayley," Jasper glared, "I'm not teaching you how to fight. That's final."

"But," I started, but a large hand stopped me from continuing. I looked over to see Emmett peering down at me, quieting me from speaking.

"I'll spar with you, squirt," Emmett said, ending my fight with Jasper.

Though he looked annoyed, Jasper ignored Emmett and me, continuing to work with Sam in pairing off a member of the Cullen family with someone down from the Rez. Once partners were all situated, wrestling matches began, with some of the boys sitting off to the side, studying as their brothers, or sister, began fighting with a vampire.

This left Emmett and me alone, allowing him to teach me how to fight, for I had never fought in all of my existence.

"Alright, go stand over there," he instructed, "about twenty feet away."

I walked away, stopping to stand where Emmett instructed. On my short walk, I looked out across the field, watching as my friends and family fought and wrestled against one another. It didn't register in my mind until I had stopped, turning to look back at Emmett, that though they were all fighting around us, all eyes were occasionally shifting over to watch Emmett and me.

"Get into a crouch," Emmett's voice traveled over to me. "Good, now you just do everything in your power to dodge my attacks, got it?"

I nodded, a fierce determination settling over my body.

Emmett smirked and then his face was a blur as he rushed towards me, sticking low to ground. I whipped my body to the right, his fingers lightly brushing against my shirt. I turned, gracefully swinging into a wide arc, scanning my eyes for Emmett. Panic gripped me for a split second and I let my mind wander, searching for him, because my eyes couldn't find him in the immediate area. There was nothing, just silence, and then suddenly a blinding pain as a large, solid block slammed into my back, sending me flying forward.

I propelled forward, my arms flying out to catch my fall as my face made contact with the gritty, cold earth. Rocks and grit scraped against my face, my eyes, and my exposed arms. Finally I stopped, pushing myself off the ground so my face was no longer pushed into the ground, but exposed to the air.

"Oh shit," Emmett breathed next me, pulling me off the ground. "You're bleeding."

I didn't even have to touch my face to know that it was a bloodied mess, for the pain was immense. A cold, swift breeze signaled that Carlisle was standing by my side in the next instance, lightly fingering my face.

"I'm fine," I huffed, moving out of their prying hands. "Just give me a minute."

Once I was a few feet away, I steadied my breathing and squeezed my eyes shut, focusing on the pain in my face. The pain heightened momentarily as my skin stretched and scabbed, healing over the open gashes. Once the pain had subsided, I knew that I could face Carlisle and Emmett again. Wiping the blood away, allowing them to see my healed face, I turned, seeing that more people were staring at me.

"See," I smiled, looking at Emmett, "Good as new. Now, let's go again."


	16. Chapter 16

Emmett's large fist connected with my stomach, sending me stumbling back, coughing up blood. Carlisle came running forward again, trying to help in anyway, but I dismissed him, quickly letting my own body heal itself.

"I think that's enough, Hayley," Carlisle advised, looking grave.

It was much later in the afternoon, signaling that Emmett and I had been sparring for several hours, each of which resulted in some sort of injury for me. The others were no longer sparring, but sitting around the perimeter of Emmett and my sparring field, watching as I hurt myself over and over again. Several times, Rosalie and Esme had to walk away, no longer able to watch as Emmett threw me into the ground repeatedly. Seth, not able to walk away, was pacing angrily, grimacing every time he heard me scream.

"No," I seethed, tenderly fingering my abdomen. "I need to be ready."

"We've been practicing for hours," Emmett said quietly, siding with Carlisle. At my look he added, "We can always work tomorrow."

"I need all the time I can get," I yelled, throwing my hands in the air, instantly regretting it. Pain shot up and down my body; I healed easily, but my body was still sore for a few days after each injury. "Amelia wants me to fight, expects me to fight, so obviously I can do it!"

Emmett and Carlisle exchanged glances, trying to silently decide how to get me back home and in a bed. Over to my left, I could practically feel Seth shaking with worry and rage, but he didn't speak. Then Jasper spoke, surprising us all, for he hadn't spoken to me since he told me he wasn't teaching me how to fight, several hours ago.

"You're thinking too much," he said from his spot beside Alice.

"What," I asked, confused. How could I think too much when fighting?

"You're thinking about what he's going to do, what you're going to do. It's all over your face," Jasper sighed. "You need to not think, just move."

"But Edward," I started, but Jasper cut me off, "Edward has been fighting longer and knows how to listen to the thoughts of his opponents but still fight, you do not."

I fell into silence, half of me grateful for Jasper's advice, half of me annoyed for him deciding to help _now, _after I had my butt kicked for the past several hours.

_He's probably teaching you a lesson,_ I vaguely registered Edward's thought, but chose to ignore it, gesturing to Emmett to go again.

Emmett sighed, looking sadly over at Rosalie before leaning down into a crouch. I followed suit, clearing my mind of all thought and strategy, just focusing on my movements.

Emmett surged forward and I dodged to the left, pivoting simultaneously so I could keep my eyes on Emmett's large form. He swung around, reaching out his arms to grab me, but I jumped, leaping over his body so I was behind him. As soon as I landed, he was already facing me, grabbing hold of my right arm, twisting it so my arm was behind my back. I used this movement to twist in his arm, taking the arm holding mine with me so I could wrap it around his neck. I scrambled quickly so I was latched onto his back, pulling his arm tighter around his neck.

"Good job, squirt," Emmett ground out, smiling slightly, given the position he was in.

I detached myself from Emmett's back, sliding to the rough ground, where I laid, grimacing as the pain of all the injuries, and the healing process, settled over my body. Exhaustion didn't have time to take hold before Emmett was pulling me up off the ground, swinging me around in a tight hug.

"Let's get her home now," Carlisle tried to hide his smile. "There's plenty of time tomorrow to practice."

Emmett set me back on the ground, ruffling my hair, making me laugh, then sauntered over to his wife, a grin on his face. Seth was by my side in an instant, checking over my body for visible injuries. I pushed away his probing hands, pressing my face into his chest and wrapping my arms around his waist, inhaling his scent. I felt his chest rise in a sigh and then settle again as he leaned down to kiss the side of my face.

"Do you realize how stupid you are," Seth breathed against my ear.

I scoffed, thinking how stupid he was for not realizing my true purpose for learning to fight. I looked up at him, determination set in my eyes.

"Do you realize how lost I would be if I lost you," my voice sounded very strong, given the exhaustion that I felt creeping up. "You'd be the first to go if Amelia had it her way, and I just can't bare the thought of something happ-"

Seth silenced me by pressing his lips against mine, leaning down to wrap his arms around my waist. A sigh escaped my lips as my hands traveled up to slide into his growing hair, effectively pulling his face closer to mine. After what felt like too short of a time, Seth pulled back, placing one last kiss on my lips, before turning around, signaling I should climb onto his back.

I scrambled up, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his stomach. As Seth's hands grasped my ankles, I placed a small kiss on his neck.

"I won't let that happen," he said, not looking at me, but watching the retreating figures of his brothers.


	17. Chapter 17

The next two weeks were spent primarily on the baseball field, where every day we continued to spar. To my delight, I was getting better and better, winning more times than loosing when I wrestled with my siblings and various members of the wolf pack.

During this time, Amelia was absent from my thoughts and dreams, but I still felt her presence. Though she wasn't speaking to me, I felt as though she was watching as I trained, as I strategized with my family, as I continued to grow more and more protective of those around me.

Alice was keeping tabs on the Volturi, constantly watching and waiting for them to make decisions about when they would come to Forks. It wasn't until three weeks after her initial visit that she learned that the Volturi would be here in four days.

Several days later, we were all in the Cullen's living room, scattered on the first floor, making a plan for the day when the Volturi would arrive. The females were all scattered on the couches, while the men stood around or sat on the floor, waiting for Carlisle, Sam, Jacob, Edward and Jasper to reenter the house.

Seth and I were sitting on the floor with Nessie, Claire, and Quil. Seth's legs were stretched out on either side of me as I leaned against his chest, smiling as I watched Nessie and Claire play together. Quil was watching Claire, a sweet smile on his face and it broke my heart to think that he might not ever see her again if something were to go wrong in a few days time. As if sensing my rising panic, Seth pulled me more securely against his chest, turning my face so he could kiss my temple.

The five men reentered at that moment, ending all the side conversations. Carlisle and Sam went to stand at the foot of the stairs as Jasper moved past me, ruffling my hair, to stand with Alice. Jacob squeezed down by Seth and me so he could be by Nessie, while Edward glided past Jacob to stand by the arm of Bella's arm chair.

"People aren't going to be happy with this," Jacob whispered to Seth and me, inclining his head towards Sam.

"After much discussion," Sam started, "we have decided to take Carlisle up on his offer and move Emily, Rachel, Kim, Claire, and Nessie to Isle Esme. They will leave tonight with Brady, Ben, and Chris, who will stay with them and guard them until we give them the all-clear to return."

I turned to look at Edward and Bella, for they were the closest. Bella was staring up at Edward, confusion, anger, and worry clouding her features. Edward only nodded, extending his hand so she could hold onto him. My eyes wandered over to Jacob and he nodded solemnly, his eyes moving over to Nessie, who was still playing with Claire.

"Why can't we just stay in La Push," Rachel asked from her spot next to Emily. Paul was standing behind the couch, one of his hands resting on her shoulder.

"We fear it could be too dangerous," Carlisle answered. "This is much different than the time Renesmee was being threatened. I'm not confident this will end as peacefully. This is a just a precaution."

"Well the sooner we leave, the sooner we get back, right," Emily chuckled, maneuvering her large, swollen belly so she could stand up. Jared and Embry, the ones closest to her, rushed forward to help her stand up straight. "If you want to say goodbye to me, you better stand up, because I cannot bend down."

Strained laughs sounded around the room as we all rose to say our 'goodbyes' and 'good lucks'. Seth pulled me with him as he said goodbye to his brothers, Brady, Ben, and Chris. I gave them each a swift hug, a quick kiss on the cheek, and then snuck between people so I could stand by Alice and Jasper, not wanting to interrupt Seth's moments to say goodbye.

Kim and Rachel travelled around the room, tears streaming down their faces, as they hugged everyone, wishing us all luck. Once they made their rounds, they followed their mates, Jared and Paul, outside for a proper goodbye.

Then Emily was waddling towards me, a bright smile and finger beckoning me forward. I slipped out from under Jasper's hand so I could meet Emily, not wanting to make her shimmy behind the couch. Her eyes were free of tears as she reached me, pulling me into a tight hug, one which was distorted by her swelling belly. She pulled back, resting her hands on my shoulders.

"Now you be safe," she smiled, squeezing my shoulders. "And you keep the rest of them safe."

"I will," I promised, pushing back the tears.

She gave me a knowing smile, taking a step forward to kiss my forehead. With one last squeeze of my shoulders, Emily waddled away, saying quick goodbyes to Alice and Jasper before walking out the door with her husband. I could only imagine the goodbyes that were being exchanged out there.

"I have someone who wants to say goodbye to you," Jacob's voice brought me back to the present.

I turned in time to see Nessie wriggle out of Jacob's arms, pushing herself forward for me to grab. Laughing, I pulled Nessie into my arms as Jacob stepped backward, moving to stand with Edward and Bella. Nessie's hand came up to rest on my cheek, sending image after image of the three brothers circulating in my head.

"Yes," I answered her, taking her little hand in mine.

Nessie threw her arms around my neck, snuggling her face into my shoulder as she hugged me. Tears pricked at my eyes, but I pushed them back as I hugged her back, saying silent prayers that she would be kept safe.

"Nothing's going to happen to you," Nessie asked, wiping at her eyes as she pulled back to look at me, "right?"

"Nothing," I smiled, nuzzling her nose with mine.

"Promise," her voice sounded so tiny amidst the noise in the house.

"Promise," I vowed, hoping beyond hope that I wasn't lying to her.

I kissed Nessie's forehead, hugging her swiftly before letting her slide to the floor so she could say goodbye to Alice and Jasper. Jacob stepped away from Edward and Bella to come stand with me, throwing an arm around my shoulders. I leaned my head against him, watching as my extended family hugged and kissed each other, some of which were lightly dabbing eyes.

"I'm sorry about all this," I told Jacob, genuinely sorry that he had to say goodbye to Nessie.

"It's all in the job description," he laughed.

I tried to laugh, or at least smile, but I couldn't bring myself to respond; an unsettling weight was filling the pit of my stomach. The only thing that lessened the feeling was seeing Seth enter the house, arm thrown around Embry as they laughed. His eyes scanned the house, settling on me, and I watched as his face spread into a bright smile, making my heart flutter.

As Seth walked over to me, I promised myself that I would keep everyone safe so we could all be reunited as soon as possible. No one was going to die over the next few days, not even the Volturi. Deep down, I hoped that Amelia heard me.


	18. Chapter 18

Three days later, the night before the Volturi were supposed to arrive on the baseball field, we camped out in the forest surrounding the large clearing. The Cullens were each in their respective tents, spending this night with their mate, treasuring these last few, private moments.

A few feet away from the tents, the boys from the Rez sat around a fire, laughing and sharing stories. Seth and I sat among them, laughing at Embry as Paul made a joke at his expense. No one was thinking about tomorrow, for which I was grateful. All I wanted to do was sit with Seth and laugh with my family, enjoying their company.

Something nudged my shoulder, making me turn around. Leah was standing behind me, peering down at me. She was grimacing slightly, but she didn't look completely hostile, like the last time I saw her.

"Can we talk," she asked, her voice sounding louder as everyone quieted down around us.

I looked back over at Seth and watched him shrug; he wasn't sure what was going on either. I stood up, giving a quiet, "sure", turning to follow her as she walked away from the light of the fire. The sound picked up behind us as we walked away, but there was no longer laughter, but rather questions about what was going on in Leah's head.

Leah stopped a few feet ahead of me, turning to stare me down. She seemed to be sorting through her thoughts, weighing her words. Every few seconds her mouth would open and I expected her to speak, but she just closed her lips, shaking her head. After watching her do this a few times, I folded my arms over my chest, tilting my head to the side, slightly amused.

"I know we haven't had the chance to get to know each other over these past few months," Leah began, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"I'm not going to take the blame for that," I replied, smiling sweetly.

"No one has to take blame," Leah retorted.

"Well, actually," I said tapping my chin. "I do recall you threatening to kill me."

"That's beside the point," Leah fumed.

"Then what is the point," I asked.

"I need to ask you for a favor," Leah's eyes bore into mine.

"Okay," I was intrigued as to what she wanted from me.

"Don't die tomorrow."

I was stunned into silence. This was the woman, who several months ago would have gladly taken my head on a stick. Now, she was asking for me not to die.

"I don't see how I can control that," I started, but Leah started speaking, taking a step towards me.

"You have to try," she sounded slightly panicked. "You have to try to live, for my brother, because if something were to happen to you, I don't even want to think about what he would do. My brother's stupid, but he's obviously in love with you and I'm scared of what he would do if something happened to you."

"I'll try," I whispered.

"No, you need to promise," Leah's eyes sparked. "You need to promise because your death would affect more than just the Cullens, but everyone, especially my brother. Do you understand, we need you to be alive. Even after Renesmee was born, I haven't seen this much peace between us and the Cullens. So promise me that you will fight tomorrow, you will fight tooth and nail so you can live."

"I promise," I stared into Leah's eyes, a little put off by the intensity I saw.

"I still don't like you," she smirked, "but I figured you're going to be around for a while, so I better get to know you… and that would be kind of hard if you were dead."

I chuckled, nodding. Leah gave me a curt nod and then brushed past me, moving back to the light of the fire. I followed her, moving to my spot between Seth and Quil, snuggling against Seth's arm once I was situated. Leah joined us this time, moving to sit by Jacob and Paul, joining in the laughter as the jokes continued.

"What was that about," Seth asked, whispering against my ear.

"An understanding," I smiled, leaning over to kiss him lightly.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion for a moment, but he just smiled, kissing my cheek quickly before pulling me more securely into his side. We sat around the fire with the rest of the wolf pack for a few more hours, laughing and reliving stories. As the fire died out, I drifted off into a fitful sleep, curled up against Seth's chest. It wasn't until several hours later that Seth woke me up.

"Hayley," Seth whispered against my temple. "You need to wake up."

I moaned, twisting so my face was pressed into his neck, pulling myself closer to him. I didn't want to move, I just wanted to lay in his arms forever.

"Carlisle wants you up so we can all get ready," Seth sounded pained. "I'm sorry, but you have to get up."

"I'm up," I told him. "I just don't want to move."

"I know," he said, placing his lips on my forehead.

We stayed like that for a few seconds, ignoring the sounds of those around us. Someone was stomping out the fire; someone else was pulling down the tents. Without even opening my eyes, I knew that the sun wasn't even up yet.

"Seth, come on," Sam called, "you need to phase. Alice said it won't be too long now."

I stirred, a cold dread filling my heart. Seth pulled me closer, hugging me to his chest.

"No matter what happens today, you keep fighting," Seth whispered rapidly, "do you hear me? You keep fighting."

"Okay," I tried to pull away so I could look into his eyes.

"I love you," his voice sounded strained. "I love you."

"I love you too," I said, my hands coming up to cup his face.

Seth surged forward, capturing my lips with his. This kiss was different from any other we had shared. This one was filled with pain, worry, and fear. I poured all of my feelings into that one kiss; all of my fear and all of my love.

I was the first to pull away, turning instead to hug Seth closely to me, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck.

"You need to go phase, but you have to stay safe today. Don't let anything happen to you," I begged him. "You have to stay safe."

I felt Seth nod against me before moving to stand us both up. He leaned down, placing one more quick kiss on my lips, before placing his lips to my forehead. I closed my eyes, living in that one moment and holding it close to my heart.

"I love you," he whispered and then he was gone, leaving me to jog into the surrounding forest.

A few seconds later a large, tan wolf replaced the man who had just left my side. The large wolf bowed his head and then walked briskly over to the other large wolves gathering near the edge of the trees. To my immediate right, a large, shaggy brown wolf walked forward, accompanied by Bella. Jacob stopped beside me, nudging my shoulder with his snout. I gave him a watery smile, patting his fur.

"Be safe," I whispered as he continued on, leaving Bella and I staring after him.

"Carlisle wants us all to be on the field," Bella said, grabbing my hand.

We both walked to the edge of the clearing, joining the rest of our family. With one final squeeze to my hand, Bella left my side, flitting over to Edward's side. I watched, heart quietly breaking, as he brushed his fingers against her cheek, staring lovingly into her eyes. I turned my head, watching as Emmett and Rosalie kissed each other passionately. A few feet away from them, Jasper and Alice held each other, sharing a silent conversation.

"We will get through this," Esme's voice sounded behind me.

I turned, happy to see Carlisle and Esme standing strong. They were conjoined at the hand, each grasping the other with a silent strength. Tears momentarily filled my eyes as I stared at them, the two people who had become my parents over the past few months that I had spent with them.

"Thank you so much for everything," I struggled to say, throwing an arm around each of them, pulling us into a tight hug. "I want you to know how grateful I am for you taking me into your home. You are the greatest parents I could ever imagine. I love you both."

I felt Esme smile against my cheek, "We love you too, Hayley."

Carlisle lightly kissed the top of my head, turned to kiss Esme quickly on the lips, then detached from her, moving to stand in front of all of us. Jasper, Emmett, and Edward each kissed their wives one last time before moving to stand with Carlisle, putting a few feet of distance between each of them. Esme hugged me swiftly once more before sending me forward, allowing me to hug my sisters before I took my spot a few feet behind Carlisle.

A few feet behind me, my sisters and Esme situated themselves into a line, with Esme standing directly behind me. Then the wolf pack entered the clearing, creating a semi circle behind my sisters and Esme. Sam and Jacob were aligned with Emmett and Edward, the two who were on the ends of the line.

"Here we go," Edward said evenly, looking out across the field.

My eyes scanned the area ahead of me, a chill creeping down my spine as I watched more people enter the field. There were over thirty of them, all dressed in black cloaks. The three brothers were in the center, with their guard creating a large circle around them. Edward spent a few hours with me a couple days ago, detailing all the members of the Volturi and their skills. Judging by their number, it looked like the brothers found a few more friends to add to their guard over the past month.

Suddenly, the large mass stopped, and my breath caught in my throat as Aro pulled back his hood, revealing his frightening smile.

"Carlisle," he said with a grin. "It's been too long, my friend."

**Okay…we are getting to the end of this story; just a few more chapters to go.**

**I hope you enjoy the next few chapters as much as I enjoyed writing them. It was fun to write Aro speaking! **

**I will tell you this: we will finally learn the whole truth about Amelia.**


	19. Chapter 19

"Aro," Carlisle smiled tensely, "in our lifetime, it feels as if it was only yesterday that we were in each other's presence last."

"It was only just a few short years ago," Aro's head cocked to the side, "wasn't it?"

There was no response from Carlisle, just an intangible fear circling our group as we gazed at the Volturi. I let my eyes wander, taking in all the people, seeing if I could match anyone to Edward's descriptions. There were the twins, Jane and Alec, standing closest to the brothers. Jane was sneering and I watched as her eyes settled on Bella, which would've caused my heart rate to quicken if I wasn't stalling it. On the outer bands, I saw Felix, his large bulking figure creating a long shadow across the ground.

"I was informed that you were misbehaving again," Aro continued, gliding over the silence.

"How so," Carlisle seemed very tense.

"By adding a new member to your coven," Aro's smile became more strained.

"I didn't know it was against the law to live in covens," Carlisle replied smoothly. "I didn't know I was doing anything wrong."

"You know very well what you are doing," the youngest brother, Caius, sneered.

There was a subtle shift in the atmosphere at Caius's remark. Emmett and Jasper leaned closer to the ground, and a low rumble sounded behind me as the wolf pack growled.

"Now, now," Aro laughed nervously, "let's not get ahead of ourselves. Carlisle, my friend, why don't you introduce me to your newest member."

I froze as Carlisle nodded, turning around to beckon me forward. My legs found a way to move, bringing me to Carlisle's side. Jasper was closest to me and I could feel his eyes on me as I stopped by Carlisle, moving my hand up so I could grip his shirt.

"My, aren't you a small, pretty thing," Aro smiled. "What's your name, dear?"

"Hayley," my voice sounded more confident than I felt. "Hayley Whitlock Cullen."

Aro's smile grew, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Hayley."

I bowed my head, acknowledging him, but speaking no more. I took his silence to mean he was done speaking to me, so with a quick glance to Jasper, I turned to move back to my spot.

"Carlisle," Aro's voice stopped me. "Would you be so kind as to bring Hayley forward so I could meet her properly?"

To my left, Edward hissed quietly, sending alarms off in my head, but Carlisle obliged, placing a hand on my back to bring me forward, towards the Volturi.

_If I tell you to run, you listen to me, no questions._

Carlisle's thoughts invaded my own and I nodded discreetly, letting him know that I understood. Aro stepped out of the ranks to meet us half way, but like me, he was being escorted. Felix was even taller up close, towering over me as Carlisle and I stopped, bowing when we reached Aro.

"My dear," Aro smiled, outstretching an arm to me, "would you allow me?"

Carlisle tensed beside me, but I extended my hand, knowing from Edward's words that I was not to refuse him. While we were strategizing, Carlisle had informed me that this was going to happen, that Aro was going to invade my mind, and I would have to let it happen. Edward advised that I put emphasis on my thoughts of opposing Amelia, showing my allegiance to the brothers. When I argued, asking why we couldn't just refuse Aro, Carlisle was adamant that it would buy us more time if we allowed Aro his 'fun'.

Aro grasped my hand with both of his, bowing his head forward, almost touching my fingers to his forehead. I felt an odd vulnerability as Aro invaded my mind, listening to every thought I ever had, reliving every memory.

After several seconds, Aro let go of my hand as if it was a hot wire, gasping at what he had just seen in my head. Carlisle's hand tightened on my back, gripping my shirt as Aro stared at me, his smile a distant memory.

_When I say so, you run, you run away from here, _Carlisle's thoughts were like whispers in my ear.

"You wish to kill us," Aro asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

There was a low hiss from the group in the dark cloaks behind Aro.

"No," I gasped, "no!"

"Your thoughts betray you, little one," Aro sneered.

_Your thoughts were warped! Aro didn't see anything about Amelia in your thoughts, _Edward practically screamed in my head. _Amelia's playing you both!_

A gasp bubbled up my throat, creating a tear in my heart. Aro thought it was my wish to kill him and his brothers, not Amelia's!

_Run. _

At Carlisle's silent word, I spun; sprinting back to my family, but strong, wide hands grabbed me, pulling me roughly back. Carlisle was there in the next second, pulling at Felix's large arms as he squeezed my biceps, breaking the bones, making me cry out in pain. The pressure on my right arm was lifted as Carlisle tore Felix's left arm off, flinging it across the field. Momentarily distracted, I spun out of his grasp, taking hold of his forearm, flipping him over my shoulder so he was thrown onto the ground in front of me.

Suddenly, a large, grey wolf pounced on Felix's form, tearing at his remaining limbs. Black figures blurred past me as members of the Volturi rushed forward to meet the progressing members of my family. Aro had made his way back to his two brothers, keeping himself out of harm's way as his loyal subjects fought to the death.

Leah's large head, once she was finished tearing Felix a part, roughly shoved me to the side as another vampire cloaked in black came running forward. Using this momentum, I rushed to the right as Leah tackled the oncoming Volturi member, tearing off one of his legs on impact.

A blinding pain sent me to the ground, where I thrashed, screaming in pain. My head whipped around, trying to find the source, only to find a small, angelic girl smiling evilly down at me. The pain seemed to intensify as her eyes bore into mine. Suddenly, the pain was gone and Bella was rushing to Jane, growling viciously. The two began to circle each other as I got to my feet, immediately rushing forward to help my sister. With Jane's eyes on Bella, I rushed forward, tearing at the small girl's arms, while Bella grasped her head, twisting it at the neck.

"I got her," Bella ground out, "get going."

I ran away, moving to the center of the battle, flinching every time I saw a pale limb fly by, hoping beyond hope that it belonged to no one I knew. To my left, I saw a chocolate brown wolf being thrown into the ground, a high-pitched howl issuing from the bloodied muzzle.

_Quil, _my mind screamed.

I rushed forward, sliding on the ground so I could trip the vampire attacking Quil. The vampire's face turned to look at me, looking murderous, and I figured this was Demetri. The vampire pounced on me, swiping at my face with his hands, issuing blood from my cheeks. Demetri looked extremely confused as he looked at his fingers, examining the blood. This distraction gave me enough time to push myself up off the ground, throwing him onto the ground, where Quil was now waiting, helping me to rid the world of the infamous tracker.

A pain-filled howl filled the field, making my head whip around to find its source. Across the field, back where we had started earlier this morning, I saw Sam's large, black, wolf form trying to get back on his feet. A large, bulking vampire clouded in a dusty grey was getting ready to pounce, watching Sam as he struggled to regain his footing.

In the next moment a blur of caramel hair rammed into the hulking form of the vampire, sending him flying into the nearby trees. Esme rushed over to Sam, checking over his large form to see if he had any external injuries. My heart seemed to stop as I watched the large vampire return, rushing up behind Esme. Sam tried to move, to push Esme out of the way, but the Volturi member was too quick, a fire was already being made… she was already gone from this earth.

**I did shed a tear while writing this… **


	20. Chapter 20

"ESME," I shrieked, "ESME, NO!"

I ran forward, dodging anything that was standing in my way. In the next instant, Carlisle was standing in front of me, an anguished look in his eyes.

"No," he yelled, "keep fighting, you have to keep fighting."

"But," I cried, tears gushing down my cheeks, "I need to help her. I can-"

"You can't help her," Carlisle pushed me away. "Now go!"

Swiping at my eyes, I spun on the spot, looking for someone to take my anger out on. Across the field, I saw them: the three brothers, casually watching the chaos around them as a battle raged on. I swerved around fighting bodies, disregarding the mangled forms on the ground, only focusing on the three men ahead of me.

_The war of all against all, _Amelia's previous words circulated in my head, confusing me momentarily.

Finally, I was standing amongst the three brothers, but I wasn't alone. Edward had materialized by my side, grabbing hold of Caius. Feeling as though I was being watched, I looked to the woods, finding a pair of bright, shining, red eyes looking into mine.

"Amelia," I barely breathed.

Aro's advancing hands froze as he registered my words, but Edward took this moment to tear at Caius's left arm, unhinging it from his shoulder. A shriek sounded from across the field, and turning to look, I saw Alice staring at Edward, holding her arm to her shoulder, keeping it in tact.

I gasped, looking back at Amelia's eyes, seeing them crinkle as she smiled, nodding.

That was when it hit me: the war of all against all. This wasn't a war of the Cullens versus the Volturi, but vampires against vampires. We were all connected. We were all from the same bloodline. If one died, we all died.

"No," I gasped, turning to Edward, "stop!"

"Why," he asked incredulously, holding Caius in a chokehold.

"Yes," a musical voice asked, "why, Hayley?"

Edward dropped his arms, confusion clouding his expression. Caius, who I feared would hurt Edward, backed up, looking frightened as he stared at his sister.

"Amelia," I whispered, still not believing that I was really seeing her after all this time.

She sauntered forward, looking absolutely beautiful with her long, black hair, swinging around her hips. Once upon me, Amelia kissed my forehead, sending me a sweet smile.

"Why don't you answer your brother, dear," she said, fingering the hair that was escaping the braid Alice did last night.

My breathing was coming out in short, breathy gasps. So many thoughts were going through my head, but one was prominent.

"You lied," my voice wasn't any higher than a whisper.

"What's that, my dear," Amelia asked, tilting her head to the side.

Suddenly, an anger consumed me. Anger from her changing me, anger from her threatening me, anger from her threatening my family, anger that she was responsible for Esme's death.

"You lied," my voice sounded strong.

"I don't think I lied," Amelia responded, stepping back, making Aro flinch. "I just didn't share the whole truth."

"Then what is the whole truth," I asked vehemently.

Somewhere behind me, I became aware that the fighting had stopped. Everyone was listening to Amelia and my exchange.

"We are monsters," she sneered, her eyes flashing.

"That's why you want us all dead," I laughed sarcastically, finally understanding.

"We are abominations," Amelia continued. "We are not meant to be on this earth anymore; its inhumane! I've tried, I've tried to kill those which my brothers have so mercilessly created, but they only grew stronger. That's when I knew… I couldn't kill vampires, only create them. The burden of being the first one ever created.

"Then I saw you, the one who would not be like any of the others. I knew in that moment that you could finally finish what I've been trying to start."

"What's that," I questioned, wanting her to say it out loud.

"To rid the world of vampires," her eyes were slits.

I ignored the gasps behind me, "And that's why you needed me to kill your brothers, because I am the only one who can get close without the fear of dying."

"Precisely," Amelia smiled.

"What about the other thousands of vampires," Aro spoke, his voice sounded shaky.

"Can't you tell, my dear brother," Amelia smiled, "I thought you were smarter than this."

"We are all connected in some sort of bloodline," I explained, never breaking eye contract with Amelia. "Since you three are the oldest vampires, besides her, if you three die, all the vampires you created will die."

"And I will be the selfless martyr, one who fought against the evil monsters," Amelia smiled, "Finally able to go to heaven, where I belong."

_Kill her, _Edward's voice sounded in my head.

_What, _I responded.

"And how do you plan on dying," I asked.

"Suicide," Amelia responded. "I had to live long enough to see my plan through."

_You can kill her without hurting anyone else, _Edward explained as I stared at Amelia. I watched her expression, but she seemed to give no indication that she heard Edward and me talking. She was too caught up in her plan unfolding. _It's all there, in her head. You can kill her Hayley, only you. That's why she wouldn't let you kill her when she first created you, or else she would've ended it all years ago. If a vampire she created kills her, she will die, no one else. You and the three brothers were the only vampires she ever created, thus you four are the only ones able to kill her without hurting anyone else. _

"What if I refuse," I asked, stalling, giving me time to think of a plan.

"I highly doubt that will happen," Amelia smiled sweetly, her eyes scanning over the members of my family, all of which were watching us with tense eyes.

I couldn't take it anymore; she had already taken someone from me, I wouldn't let her take anyone else. I jumped forward, my hands striking out to grab at her face, but her right arm jutted out, her fingers wrapping around my neck, holding me a few inches off the ground.

"My dear," Amelia sounded annoyed.

"We'll all be dead soon anyway," I coughed. "So why not make things interesting."

I swung my legs forward, kicking at her kneecaps, sending her to the ground with a cry of pain. She scraped at the ground, trying to pull herself closer to me as I gagged, trying to catch my breath. Before she could grab my hair, I pulled her up, this time I was the one holding her by the neck, her legs hanging uselessly against the dirt.

"If you didn't want the world filled with vampires, you shouldn't have led to the creation of so many," I seethed, digging my fingers into her skin.

"It was by accident," she wheezed. "This race was a mistake."

"Then it was also your mistake to forget that my brother could read minds," I said. "It was your mistake to get too caught up in fulfilling your plans to not listen to the things around you. It was also your mistake to let me figure out that I am the only one who can rid the earth of you and your monstrosity."

"You were not a mistake," Amelia's voice took on a note of anguish. "I kept you alive all these years! You were my daughter."

"No," my voice was very low, "I was Elaine Whitlock's daughter, but you killed her. I was Esme Cullen's daughter, but you killed her too. I was never your daughter."

With that, I silenced her forever.

As her body slumped to the ground, I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted. Silently, I turned, walking over to Caius, who was holding his arm to his shoulder. He backed away from me when I came near, but I sent a small smile, putting my hands up in a gesture of peace. When he froze, not knowing whether to come near me or move away, I pressed my hands on his shoulder and upper arm, praying that my hypothesis was correct. I concentrated on the area and soon enough, I could feel skin beginning to form, reattaching his shoulder to his arm. Somewhere behind me, I heard Alice sigh as her arm was reconnected as well.

"We owe you our lives," Aro breathed, sounding very frightened.

"We will forever be in your debt," Marcus's quiet voice floated over to me, speaking for the first time. "How can we repay you?"

I looked at Marcus, sensing that he was the most rational out of all the three brothers. Edward came up behind me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder, giving me just enough strength to speak.

"Please leave," I asked, my voice strained from all the emotions going through my head. "And don't ever bother my family again. You know now that we don't wish to undermine you. We just want to live as a family."

"As you wish," Marcus responded, bowing slightly, before turning and disappearing into the surrounding trees.

Aro and Caius, without another look in our direction, followed their oldest brother. The remaining members of the Volturi followed suit and I vaguely noticed that there were significantly less black cloaks leaving than there were this morning when the mass first arrived.

I stared at the spot for several minutes, half expecting a hooded figure to return, ripping me to shreds. Edward, after giving me a sufficient amount of time, gripped my shoulder, steering us back to regroup with the others. I was expecting everyone to be in the same spot, still staring with me at the forest, but they weren't, rather, they were all gathered in a huddle, surrounding something.

"Esme," I breathed, detaching myself from Edward so I could run forward.

Moving between the large wolves and the shaking figures of Alice and Rosalie, I fell to my knees beside Carlisle, looking down at where Esme's form should've been. I put my hands on the ground; concentrating, putting all of my power into my hands so I could heal her, bring her back to us. Nothing happened, so I pushed my hands into the ash, seeing if it would work there.

"It's not working," I said through clenched teeth.

"It's not going too," Carlisle sounded detached, scooting over to sit closer to me.

"But it has to," I said, ignoring the quiet cries behind me. "I have to tell her that we won, that it's over. We can go home now."

"She knows," Carlisle said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

With that, I lost it, curling into Carlisle's arms, crying, letting all of the day's emotions run off of me. Carlisle held me, gently shaking too, unable to cry the tears which he so desperately wished to shed. Soon, other arms were being wrapped around us as Alice and Rosalie sank to the ground, wrapping their arms around their father and me, mourning the loss of their mother.

Soon, the whole field was filled with the tearless sobs of the Cullen's' and the wounded howls of the wolf pack as we mourned the loss of our mother, the one who died protecting one of her own.

**I have to admit, I was slightly emotional writing this chapter and the last one. **

**I didn't think I was going to kill her- I went back and forth in my head for several days- but in the end, I knew it had to happen for the story to continue. **

**Just one more chapter to go and then the epilogue! **

**Thanks to all who are still reading this! **


	21. Chapter 21

Two days later, we were all back at the Cullen's, gathered in the backyard as we said our final goodbyes to Esme.

Alice and I had spent all day decorating the backyard: hanging flowers from the trees, draping the seats with satin and ribbons, lighting the ground with candles. It was absolutely beautiful; something Esme would've created herself.

As Seth and I walked out to our seats, hand in hand, I thought back to when we were reunited with Emily, Kim, Rachel, Claire, and Nessie.

_Hugs, kisses, and tears were exchanged as we met the five girls at the small, local airport. _

_Nessie was traveling between Jacob, Bella, and Edward's arms, sending kisses every which way, when she stopped, confused._

"_Where's grammy," she asked, stilling all of our hearts._

_Bella's pained expression looked to Edward as she held their daughter, not knowing how to explain that her grammy was no longer with us._

_Carlisle surprised us all by speaking, taking the small girl into his arms, "She's here; you just can't see her anymore."_

Carlisle was surprising us all, for he was much stronger than we thought he was going to be, given that his mate was no longer here.

Once we were all seated, Alice took to the small, constructed stage that Emmett helped put together.

"Thank you all for being here today," Alice's voice lacked its usual chipper. "We thought it would be appropriate as a last goodbye to share our stories of E-Esme."

With that, Alice launched into her stories of how decorating together had meant the world to her. Alice, like me, never had a true mother figure, and Esme came as close to one as any other.

Over the next few hours, each member of the Cullen household and our family from the Rez took to the stage to speak about Esme and her impact on their lives. Some were emotional, like Edward, Sam, and Emily's, while some made us laugh, like Emmett's and Embry's.

Carlisle declined the offer for him to speak, signaling that it was my turn, the last to speak. Seth squeezed my hand, kissing it lightly before I stood up, straightening the dress I was wearing as I took to the stage.

I looked out in front of me, taking in the faces of my family. In the front row sat my immediate family. Edward and Bella were in the first two seats, holding onto Renesmee as she wiped at her little eyes. My brother and sister looked defeated, but solid, making me feel happy, despite the mourning.

Next to them sat Alice and Jasper, each of who were holding onto each other tightly, watching me with sad expressions. Alice, every so often would shudder, as if shaking off the tears that would not fall. Rosalie and Emmett were sitting in a similar fashion, though Rosalie was holding on the man's hand to her left; Carlisle. Carlisle was sitting with a seat empty beside him, one hand resting casually against the cushion, as if holding an invisible hand. His face was devoid of any emotion, but occasionally a small smile would appear, almost as if he was hearing something no one else could hear.

In the rows behind sat our family from La Push, all of which were in different stages of grief. Kim and Rachel were dabbing at their eyes, holding onto their mates, Jared and Paul, who were both sporting saddened expressions. Leah, Jacob, Quil, Embry, and Seth, the five who were probably the closest to the Cullens were sitting in the second row, occasionally wiping at their eyes, though trying to discreetly.

Near the back were Emily and Sam, both of whom were holding onto the other. Emily was wiping at her eyes with one hand, using the other to hold onto Sam's hand, placing it against her swelling belly. Sam's expression was the one which haunted me the most, for I knew that he blamed himself for Esme's death.

"I grew up believing that my mother truly didn't love me," I started, trying to look at everyone's face. "I never had a mother to tuck me in at night, brush my hair, teach me about boys, or protect me from the monsters.

"Then I found you all and I was swallowed into this large family, one in which I have more siblings than I know what to do with," there were a few chuckles. "And out of this family, I gained parents. I finally had someone who would tuck me in at night, brush my hair, teach me about boys, and protect me from the monsters.

"Secretly, I treasured every moment that Esme spent with me, whether that was when she talked with me over breakfast, sat with me while I shook off the bad dreams, or I worked with her in the garden."

I turned to Carlisle, finding strength in his somber eyes.

"Some people believe that vampires have no soul, but I'd like to argue that Esme had the most soul out of anyone I've ever met. And I know, deep down, that she's here with us now as we celebrate her life… because that's what she would've wanted us to do: celebrate.

"She left this world doing what she did best: protecting her children. And even though she's not here anymore, I know she will be looking out for us every day."

I tore my eyes from Carlisle's to look up at the sky from between the trees, seeing each twinkling star.

"I love you, momma," I breathed, closing my eyes.

In the next moment, I felt arms pull me into a tight hug, and I looked up to see Carlisle pulling me into his arms. I hugged him back, snuggling my face into his cold chest.

"She would be so proud of you," Carlisle said against my head.

Tears formed in my eyes as Carlisle pulled back to look into my eyes, gripping my shoulders. Though it was tiny, miniscule compared to those I'd seen on him before, Carlisle smiled, leaning forward to kiss my forehead.

With that small gesture, I knew that we were all going to be okay, no matter what challenge arose, we would still stand strong and survive.

**I promise: the epilogue will be posted by tonight! **


	22. Epilogue

**Hello!**

**I just wanted to clear up some things about Amelia… I had hoped that this would be clear in the story, but it might not have been.**

**Amelia only changed four people: Aro, Caius, Marcus, and Hayley. Changing her three brothers were a mistake, but Hayley was only created to kill the three brothers. Amelia cannot kill a vampire, she can only create them, thus she had to use Hayley to kill her three brothers.**

**No one knew about the "bloodline" connection because no one has ever tried to kill the three brothers and Amelia has never really been seen. When Hayley came along, she and Edward finally figured out that Amelia can only be killed, without killing anyone else, by the four people she initially created. So, lets say Amelia also created Alice, then Alice could kill Amelia as well.**

**I hope this clears things up in some way… **

**Again, this story was based off a dream I had about two years ago and I wrote it down and posted it on fanfiction because I thought other people might enjoy the story. **

**Now, here is the epilogue! Enjoy **

Epilogue

Two Weeks Later

"When can we go in," Quil asked.

"Yeah, this is taking forever," Embry groaned.

"Dude, she was in labor for over 12 hours" Jacob said, smacking Embry's head. "I think we can wait a little while longer."

I smiled, shaking my head against Seth's shoulder. Emily had gone into labor early yesterday evening and after Carlisle rushed to the hospital to assist in anyway, the Cullens and wolf pack met in the waiting room, where we all stayed overnight and into the next morning.

My siblings were all sitting against the wall, listening for Carlisle's approaching feet, but just like the past several hours, they didn't hear anything. Scattered around the room sat the members of the wolf pack, some snoring loudly, while others looked extremely excited.

As my eyes scanned the waiting room, they settled on Leah, who was talking with Jacob. She stopped for a moment to smile in my direction, before turning back to talk with Jacob. Even though it was only a few weeks ago that she didn't like me, Leah and I had taken these past two weeks to start talking. I actually considered us friends now.

"Aren't you tired," Seth asked, pulling me closer into his side. He had already taken a nap against my shoulder a few hours ago.

"I don't want to miss anything," I smiled, watching the door.

Just as the words left my mouth, Carlisle entered the room with a bright smile. Everyone stood up, looking at Carlisle expectantly. Paul kicked Brady out of his seat, effectively waking him.

"You can come in now," Carlisle said with a smile.

We filed out of the room, some of the boys in the front pushing and shoving in order to enter the room first. Seth and I laughed from our spot in the middle of the pack, his arm wrapped securely around my shoulders. Behind us, my siblings walked, smiles on each of their faces.

"Look at them," Leah's voice sounded in front of us as we entered the room behind her. "They're precious."

Emily was lying on the bed, looking triumphant and radiant, despite the sweat and exhaustion evident on her face. Sam was standing next to her bed, a broad smile covering his face as he exchanged glances with his wife. In each of their arms sat a little bundle, one wrapped in pink, the other in blue.

"What are their names," Rosalie breathed, a huge smile stretched across her face as she came to stand closer with Seth and me.

"This is Kaiden Alexander," Sam smiled, staring down at the little blue bundle in his arms.

"And this is Kia Esme," Emily's voice sounded thick as she looked at Carlisle, who was filling out charts at the end of the bed.

Muffled tears were heard around the room as all eyes went to Carlisle. We watched as he smiled, bowed his head, and then turned to leave, excusing himself to finish his paperwork in his office.

"They're beautiful," Bella smiled, struggling to hold onto Nessie, who was wiggling in her arms, trying to jump onto the bed like Claire was trying to do as well.

"Thank you," Emily yawned, staring down at her daughter.

"As much as we appreciate you all being here," Sam said, staring at his wife. "Emily needs to sleep, as well as the babies, so…"

"Get out," Jacob laughed, putting his hands on Quil and Embry's shoulders, ushering them out.

"Come back later in the afternoon," Emily called out to our retreating forms.

Alice and Rosalie gushed about the babies as we all walked out of the hospital, heading to our respective cars. The boys announced that they were going to head back down to the Rez to catch up on some sleep, but would call when they were going to head back to the hospital. Seth and I climbed into the car with Alice and Jasper, heading back to our house.

When we reached the driveway, hopping out of the car, Seth grabbed my head, inclining his head to the surrounding trees.

"We'll be back," I said to Alice before following Seth into the trees.

After walking for a few minutes, Seth stopped, patting the ground next to him where he sat. I smiled, walking over to sit with him on the ground. Once we were seated, Seth laid down against the cold ground, pulling me with him, my head resting against his shoulder.

"I wanted to talk with you," Seth whispered, snuggling closer with me on the ground.

"Okay," I smiled, kissing his shoulder.

"I love you," Seth said.

"I know," I laughed, "and I love you too."

"No," Seth said, his voice sounding stronger, "I love you, more than just from this imprint stuff, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"And we can now," I told him, turning to look at him.

"I know," Seth said, finally looking into my eyes, "but with everything that happened these past three weeks, it's had me thinking. Carlisle and Esme expected to spend the rest of forever together, and now look what happened…

"Anything could happen, so I want to do everything in my power to spend the rest of forever with you."

"Seth," I tried to tell him. "We can…"

"I know," he smiled, "I know, but I want to make you mine in every way, so everyone knows it."

"I am yours," I was getting confused.

"For being so smart," Seth smiled brightly, "you seem to miss a lot."

"What do you mean," my eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Seth sat up, pulling me with him. He fished into his jeans pocket, pulling out a small, blue box, and I gasped, not quiet believing what was happening. Seth only smiled, grabbing my left hand.

"Hayley Whitlock Cullen," Seth smiled, "I want to spend the rest of forever with you, and I want that to start now. So, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

I stared at the man before me, tears spilling onto my cheeks. Somehow, my brain was able to function enough to spur some kind of movement, for my head bobbed up and down in a nod. Seth's face broke out into a gigantic grin as he cupped my face, pulling me in for a swift kiss. Then he was pulling back so he could slip the most beautiful ring onto my left hand.

I looked up at Seth as he put the ring on my finger, still not believing that this was all happening. Just over six months ago, I was running, still on my search for my brother. Now I was a part of a family, a true family. I was truly, madly, and deeply in love with a man who loved me all the same, and now I was going to be able to spend the rest of my life with the people that I loved.

Truly, nothing could get better than this.


	23. Author

Hey everyone!

First, I would like to thank all of those who have read my story and are still reading my story! It feels wonderful knowing that people enjoy reading my stories, other than my sister.

So I've been very busy these past few weeks with school starting and college apps coming out, but I think I'm going to start writing some more so I can relax a little.

I've decided to do some short stories based of the characters in this story. I'm not going to necessarily write a sequel, but I am going to write short stories or one-shots. I have an idea for the first short story, one which will be about Seth and Hayley's wedding, and I will be starting it soon.

Thanks again!


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